James Potter and the Animagus Potion
by ColbiWest
Summary: In the middle of wartime rumors and growing hatred against werewolves, James Potter and his friends at Hogwarts race against the clock to find ingredients for the Animagus Potion before the school year ends. If only the ingredients were easier to obtain, but you should really never trust anyone with the name Mundungus Fletcher.
1. The Room Behind the Flower Shop

_Welcome back, everyone! If you haven't caught up with the story so far, I suggest reading _James Potter and the Auror of Hogwarts _before starting this book. And if you REALLY haven't done your reading, the adventure begins with James Potter and the Sword of Gryffindor. I'm very excited for this new installment, so thank you for being so patient!_

_P.S. This may look familiar for some of you, but I only released the first half of this chapter as a preview. Skip down or read the whole thing to refamiliarize yourself with the story! I've added a page break to make the new content easier to locate._

* * *

**The Room Behind the Flower Shop**

The wind whistled gently through the abandoned street, the dripping clouds hanging over Godric's Hollow like a drenched tent flap. Muggles and wizards alike were walking briskly through the town, intent on getting home before the dusk could settle into total darkness. Most of the neighborhood stores were empty, and a few shopkeepers poked their heads outside to stare at the misty sky. After a single drop of rain fell onto each of their noses, they stepped outside to collapse the overhead awnings.

Crossing rapidly over the wet cobblestones, the pattering footsteps of the passersby signaled both the visible activity of the street and the invisible alike, for James Potter and Sirius Black were currently draped underneath the former's Invisibility Cloak as they rushed to the local flower shop. Both boys had grown several centimeters during the summer months, and the Cloak had gotten a little more cramped than before; however, if their pacing feet ever happened to slip out from the Cloak's cover, none of the other pedestrians took heed as they shielded their heads from the sprinkling rain.

After a few minutes, James and Sirius reached the flower shop and ducked inside while a bell jingled above their heads, the premises empty save for a petite witch dressed in a pale pink kimono. Dozens of flower arrangements lined the walls, the flora as crisp as the moist air outside, and James fought back a sneeze as a dozen different pollens hit his nose at once. Hearing the boys' entrance, the witch looked up from behind the front desk and watched as James and Sirius pulled off the Invisibility Cloak, shivering as they adjusted to the warmth of the cozy building.

"You should have waited until we went into the back," the witch admonished them in a high, monotone voice, taking a sip of the tea in her wrinkled hands.

"No one's out at this hour," Sirius scoffed, shaking out the Cloak before handing it to James, who quickly pocketed it. "It's not like anyone's going to see us."

Shrugging, the witch stood as James shook out his wild black hair and turned to her. "Is he here yet, Ms. Xu?"

"He's looting my supplies in the back," Ms. Xu replied shortly, beginning an unhurried pace to the curtain separating the Muggle-friendly section of the store from the back room.

After sharing a look, James and Sirius followed her behind the periwinkle curtain, soon spotting a squat, bandy-legged man where he was examining a green bottle that had once sat on one of the room's many shelves. Although Ms. Xu did not so much as open her mouth to reprimand him, the short wizard turned and disposed of the bottle so quickly that James wondered if he had ever in fact been holding it. The man had the lightest features of everyone in the room, his red hair distinctly brighter than the jet black heads of Ms. Xu and the boys, but nothing about his demeanor suggested friendliness. As with their last few meetings, James caught the distinct scent of tobacco and whiskey, which had been unnoticeable in the previous room's flowery aroma.

"Ah, you're here!" the wizard wheezed as if he had not been expecting James and Sirius, and his brown eyes darted around the room. "You have the money, don't ya?"

Reaching into their pockets without a word, James and Sirius each produced a handful of gold Galleons and dropped the coins into the wizard's waiting grasp.

"There you are, Mr. Fletcher," James announced unsmilingly.

"Oh, I've told you before to call me Mundungus," the short-legged man told him with a wave of his free hand, licking his lips as he fingered the gold. Breaking into a smile, he replaced the Galleons in his palm with a small, corked bottle and offered it to the boys. "Your death's-head hawkmoth chrysalis, as promised."

After grabbing the bottle, James carefully pulled off the top and examined the delicate insect pupa inside. Next to him, Sirius frowned and faced Mundungus.

"What about the Mandrake leaves?"

"Well, the market's going through some hard times," Mundungus told him, shrugging with an upturned smile. "It's difficult to find rare specimens at a time like this."

"Merlin's foot!" Sirius spat. "You should only get half of what we gave you!"

"The other ingredients will come, lads!" Mundungus insisted, his eyes bulging slightly. "Just be patient, now!"

"Sirius is right! You promised that you'd have the Mandrake leaves by now!" James agreed, putting the chrysalis aside. "I want our money back!"

"Now, hold on!" Mundungus pleaded, raising his hands. "I'll get the rest to you in no time at all! Consider the money a down payment on the rest of the delivery."

"Now, listen here, you old miser," Sirius growled, "you give us our money back, or we'll—"

"Keep it out of the shop, lads," Ms. Xu interrupted, watching the exchange with her arms crossed.

"If you don't give us our money back, we'll take you outside and square off there," Sirius corrected.

"All right, all right, there's no need to grow nasty!" Mundungus sniveled, taking a few Galleons out of his pocket and returning them to the boys, who counted them carefully.

"You're still not excused from the rest of the deal," James reminded Mundungus, narrowing his eyes.

"I would assume not, as long as you still agree to my pay," he grumbled, and the boys glared at him until he looked away. "Well, miss," Mundungus addressed Ms. Xu, "is there anything I can interest you in today?"

"If you still don't have anything better than a bag of eggplant seeds and a couple of Flobberworm caps, then you can stop thieving my shop," she told him, and he waddled towards the curtain with a small shrug. On his way out, Sirius grabbed Mundungus before he could jerk away, using their height difference to pull him close; even at fourteen, Sirius was a few centimeters taller than the grubby wizard.

"How much longer, then?" Sirius hissed. "A month?"

"At least two, Mr. Black!" Mundungus insisted with a voice like a greasy cog. "Give me until November, will you? Times are hard."

Shoving him away, Sirius allowed Mundungus to slink through the curtain as Ms. Xu stared after him.

"How can you stand him?" James demanded of the witch, gesturing towards the still-flapping fabric. "He's about the smarmiest fellow you can get!"

"You need a few keen-eyed contacts to run a place like this," she replied, motioning towards the shelves packed to overflowing with herbs, assorted animal parts, and other potion ingredients. "Unfortunately, Mundungus happens to be one of the keenest. Now, what do you have there?" she inquired, leaning over while James gave her the hawkmoth chrysalis. After examining the specimen closely, she turned and stashed the bottle on a shelf behind her. "Unfortunately, this is only useful in the last stage of brewing the potion. You still need the Mandrake leaves to start the process."

"Mundungus said that he should have them by November," James interjected. "If he does, we can start as soon as we come back for the holidays!"

"Perhaps," Ms. Xu said with her usual amount of disinterest, though a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth when she saw James' excitement. "I'm sorry there's not any more I can do. Now make sure you get to your homes in time for dinner, or you'll be missed. We'll discuss my payment when you have all the ingredients."

"Thanks, Ms. Xu!" James and Sirius answered on their way through the curtain, waving as Ms. Xu levitated a broom with a wave of her hand and made it dance across the floor.

* * *

Pulling on the Invisibility Cloak, James and Sirius took their leave of the shop and scurried back down the street, retracing their footsteps over the glistening cobblestones. The sun had just disappeared beneath the shingled rooftops, and the rain now pattered on the empty roads in earnest.

After a few minutes of walking, the boys reached a narrow alleyway entrance, and they ducked inside to rid themselves of the Invisibility Cloak. Now exposed to the precipitation, they assumed a quicker gait as they emerged from the alley, talking about a make-believe afternoon that they had spent in the local park. No one threw them a second glance as the sun's final rays peeked through the crowded buildings, exploding in an orange array amid the specks of rain falling to the earth.

"Do you think that we'll be able to tell Remus soon?" James asked Sirius when the street had cleared out, leaving just the two of them walking alone. "I can't stand waiting."

"It doesn't look like we'll be able to say anything until we've finished with the Mandrake leaves, at least," Sirius responded, kicking a stray rock and watching it bounce away. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he kicked at the rock again and sighed as it rocketed away. "Once we're nearly finished with the Animagus Potion, I think that it'll be safe to finally let him know."

"Right," James agreed, smiling. "He can't stop us from becoming Animagi when we're nearly there, can he?"

Laughing together, he and Sirius lowered the volume of their voices as a woman turned the corner and strode past them. Rummaging through his pockets with a frown, Sirius admitted, "I wish that old Mundungus didn't charge so much. I'm nearly drained of the money I stole from my parents."

Grunting, James nodded as the rain continued to dot his glasses with transparent beads. He and Sirius had met Mundungus almost by chance when they had returned home from Hogwarts for the summer, and his partnership was as much as a curse as it was a blessing. Truthfully, it was Sirius who had met Mundgungus first; he had reportedly pried the stubby wizard out of a rubbish bin near 12 Grimmauld Place, from which Sirius had escaped after an argument with his mother. Sirius had not lasted more than a week at his house before contacting James and asking to spend the summer with the Potters, and the boys had run across Mundungus once again when they first visited Ms. Xu's apothecary in the hope of locating Mandrake leaves. By their second meeting, Sirius had surmised that Mundungus was some sort of an expert in the black market, untrustworthy though he may be, and he and James struck a deal with him in their desperation to find ingredients for the rare Animagus Potion, which would enable them to turn into animals at will. As of yet, the hawkmoth chrysalis was the only real benefit that Mundungus had provided for the boys, and James hoped that he would live up to his promise of securing the Mandrake leaves.

Although James harbored no gratitude for Mundungus, Ms. Xu had proved a valuable partner in the boys' schemes, having an extensive knowledge of potion-brewing and a dislike for probing questions. Overall, despite his mistrust of Mundungus, James could not think of a better duo to keep his and Sirius' mission a secret, which was a necessity due to legal matters. He and Sirius had not even relayed their plan to their more ethically-minded friend at Hogwarts, whom they had uncovered as a werewolf two years ago and had prompted their attempt to become Animagi.

After walking a few more blocks, James and Sirius opened the front door of Potter Cottage and slipped inside, shivering to rid their clothes of the raindrops. In just a few moments after they had shut the door, Winthrop the house-elf came waddling around the corner and nodded at the boys.

"Not a pleasant evening for the park, Master James?" he asked, reaching up for the boys' outer coats as they pulled them off.

"Too wet," James told him, gazing over the top of the house-elf's bushy white head. "Are my parents upstairs?"

Frowning when Winthrop did not respond right away, James glanced down at the house-elf's pressed lips. "Winthrop?" he prodded again, and Winthrop looked up at him with a twitch of his ear.

"Winthrop last saw them in the reading room," he answered as he turned away, but James recognized his averted eyes as an attempt to distract James from trouble.

"_Why_ are they in the reading room?" James prodded with a sly smile, and Winthrop shrugged.

"Winthrop cannot say."

"_Cannot_ or _will_ not?" James teased, and Winthrop glared at him.

"Would Master like his supper or not?" he threatened.

"Is it in the dining room?" Sirius interjected, brightening.

"Yes, but it has gone cold in Master Black's and Master James' absence," Winthrop replied, turning away with their coats in hand.

"Well, you can heat it up on the stove while we go find my parents," James told him, and he and Sirius began running up the stairs as Winthrop spun around.

"Master James, wait a moment!" he called out, his voice jumping up even higher than its usual squeak, but the boys ignored him and raced around the corner at the top of the staircase.

In just a few moments, James pushed open the door to the upstairs reading room, expecting to find his parents sitting together in the far corner. Unexpectedly, nothing moved at their entrance, and James soon saw that the room was empty save for the towering bookshelves and the heavy, forest-green carpet underneath his feet.

"Aren't your parents in here?" Sirius asked, stepping into the room behind his friend, but James ignored him as he approached the two armchairs in the opposite corner. Spotting a copy of _The Daily Prophet_ lying on one of the cushions, most likely left by his father, James picked it up and started to scan the front page. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, the most interesting headline announcing the recent slaughtering of the Lucky Leprechauns in the International Quidditch Tournament by the largely unskilled Banchory Bangers.

However, as James flipped the newspaper to the other side, a small caption near the bottom of the page caught his eye, and he let out a gasp as his stomach twisted. Immediately jumping to his side, Sirius looked over his shoulder while James tried to wad up the newspaper, his head reeling.

"What is it?" Sirius insisted, finally succeeding in wrenching the paper away from James. "Let me see!"

"Wait, Sirius, don't—" James warned, but he stopped protesting as Sirius froze.

"Seven Reported Werewolf Attacks Last Full Moon: Three Muggles Dead," Sirius read aloud slowly, lowering _The Daily Prophet_. Looking at James, he finished, "Death Eater Recruitment Suspected."

His mouth dry, James did not have time to respond before a pair of thudding footsteps caused him to turn around, and he came face-to-face with his father just as he reached the doorframe and clutched it with one hand. Disheveled from his hurry, the wrinkled wizard rubbed his sweat-beaded scalp and gaped at the boys.

"I didn't know you had gotten back!" he breathed, his sides moving with the effort of his lungs. "Have you eaten yet?"

Still unable to speak, James and Sirius only shook their heads as James' father attempted to catch his breath, supporting his weight on the doorframe. He was wearing a stain-marked apron, which only served to make his exhausted appearance even more comical as he continued to gasp for air. "Your food should be waiting downstairs. Didn't Winthrop tell you—"

Breaking off, he recovered almost at once from his run and stepped into the room, staring at the two boys. "Is something the matter? You both look a little pale."

As James and Sirius shared a quick glance, James wrested the newspaper from his friend's hand and shook it out to reveal the article of interest. "What's this?" he asked, and his father took the newspaper in turn to squint at the headline.

"Ah, yes," he replied, rapping _The Daily Prophet _with his finger. Pursing his lips, he frowned at the boys. "I'm sorry to have left this lying around. I didn't mean to give you a scare."

"This can't be right!" James protested, pointing at the newspaper. "Lord Voldemort can't be recruiting werewolves!"

Seeming to mistake James' bewilderment for fear, his father tossed _The Daily Prophet_ on the armchair and raised his hands to the boys' shoulders. "I know what you're feeling right now. This is frightening news, but you've got to remember that these incidents are often preventable with proper precautions. Most often, people are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, and all these reports came far from Godric's Hollow. You shouldn't have to worry."

After sharing a glance with Sirius, James stared down at the floor and balled up his fists. He could not refute his father for fear of giving away Remus' secret, but he knew that the reporters for _The Daily Prophet_ had to be messing up the facts. Although he had thought ill of werewolves in the past, James had changed his misconceptions after learning that Remus bore none of the bloodthirsty qualities normally attributed to his kind.

Unluckily, Sirius seemed to have less prudence than James, and he objected, "What if it was just a coincidence? Don't werewolves lose control of themselves on the full moon?"

"Well, I suppose it could have been," James' father relented, stroking his chin, "but the odds of seven attacks in one night doesn't look too good, especially when months or even years can go by without a werewolf-related incident. They've been cropping up in droves recently, and nearly all of the attacks seem to involve Muggles or half-blood families." Scratching the back of his neck, he threw a glance at the newspaper lying on the armchair. "Personally, I wouldn't be too surprised if the werewolves made a deal with the Death Eaters, especially since the Ministry doesn't favor their kind. They'll likely have a few grievances that they'd love to settle, and they probably see joining You-Know-Who's army as the easiest way to retaliate. It's unfortunate, really."

Biting back another objection, James kept quiet as his father smiled ruefully and rubbed his son's hair out of place. "Anyway, I think it's about time that you got your supper. Winthrop was threatening to throw your plates out if you didn't get back before the sun went down, and I think it's far past then."

As he led the boys to the door, James slowly ambled out of the reading room while Sirius ran ahead, apparently invigorated by the mention of food. Glancing up at his father again, James gestured towards the bridge of his nose.

"You have grease on your face," he told him, and James' father quickly reached up to rub his nose.

"Ah! So I do! Thank you, James," he answered before giving a harried glance in the direction where Sirius had run off. Lowering his voice, he whispered, "To be completely honest, I was a bit panicked when you and Sirius came back so unexpectedly. I bought an old motorbike from a lovely Muggle couple who live down the street, and I was planning to give it to Sirius when you come home for Christmas."

"That's a fantastic idea!" James encouraged. "He'll love it!"

"I heard how he loves Muggle Studies, and I couldn't turn down the bike when I saw a sign on the neighbors' lawn," James' father replied, rubbing his hands on his apron again. "Of course, it's going to need a bit more fixing before it's ready. I only just managed to hide it in the back shed when Winthrop came to get me."

"I'll make sure that Sirius doesn't find it before we go to Hogwarts," James promised before waving his father goodbye and thudding down the stairs.

Upon reaching the dining room, James slipped into a chair next to Sirius, who had already taken several mouthfuls of his roast. Drumming his fingers on the table, James stared at the far wall for a moment and ignored the food sitting in front of him.

"The Ministry has to be getting it wrong!" he finally said aloud. "The werewolves can't be working for Lord Voldemort! You know Remus! He'd never do anything like that!"

Swallowing a bite far too big for his mouth, Sirius licked his lips before turning to James. "I'm not sure what to think . . . I know that _Remus_ would never do something like that, but are you sure about the rest of them?" When James whipped around to glare at him, he raised his hands and continued, "I mean, your dad has a point—we probably have scary stories about werewolves for a reason. And just how many werewolf attacks are bound to happen at once?"

"Well, _The Daily Prophet_ was wrong," James repeated, crossing his arms. "Werewolves aren't evil. You know that as well as me! They can't help themselves on the full moon—you said so yourself!"

Looking away, Sirius made a motion somewhat like a shrug and took another mouthful of food. "Sure, but they shouldn't have been outside, anyway," he spoke, his voice muffled.

"I'm sure it was just an accident," James asserted. "They're not part of the Death Eaters."

"But your dad doesn't know that," Sirius pointed out, stabbing his plate with his fork. "So unless you want to raise a lot of uncomfortable questions, I suggest that we don't bring it up again."

"All right," James agreed, sighing. "I just wish _someone_ was on our side." After a moment, he snapped his fingers and nodded. "Peter'll get it. It's just too bad that he isn't the editor for _The Daily Prophet_."

"I'm not sure it would matter if he was," Sirius commented. "My father works at the Ministry, and I've seen his name mentioned in _The Daily Prophet_ loads of times. The strange thing is, he shouldn't have even been involved in half of the things that he gets interviewed for, but I know that he'd blow me off if I ask about it. My guess is, the Ministry is more involved with _The Daily Prophet _than they'd care to admit."

"But _The Daily Prophet_ isn't printed at the Ministry of Magic, is it?"

"No, but the Ministry is still the biggest wizarding powerhouse in England," Sirius pointed out. "And Jenkins isn't the most open-minded Minister we've ever had, if you take what we learned about her two years ago as an example. She even tried to recruit Dumbledore to bootlick with her, remember? I bet that she keeps a tight grip on what the publications say."

"You might be right," James admitted, frowning down at the table again. "I just hope that Remus isn't getting down about it. Knowing him, he'll be taking it pretty hard."

Nodding, Sirius played with his fork before turning to his friend. "We shouldn't mention it if he doesn't bring it up. Maybe he hasn't read about the attacks."

"Maybe," James echoed, turning to his food before Winthrop could enter and whisk it away. He hoped that Mr. and Mrs. Lupin had kept Remus from any newspapers throughout the summer, but he said nothing to Sirius as they ate in silence.


	2. Trouble on the Train

**Trouble on the Train**

In a deceptively short-seeming time, the summer drew to a close, and James and Sirius began preparing their suitcases for the journey to Hogwarts. James' mother took them both to Diagon Alley to purchase new school supplies, and the boys spent most of their time browsing Flourish and Blott's and the other, more obscure bookstores on the street, searching for books that could help them on the quest to become Animagi. Most of the information that they needed had already been given to them by Valerie Cleary, their latest Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, in the form of the comprehensive guide _Animagi in the Making_, but they were always on the lookout for more details about Self-Transfiguration. After purchasing _Transfiguration Explained _without the knowledge of James' mother, they threw the book into Sirius' suitcase to look over once they had reunited with Peter at school.

When the Potters left their house with Sirius at the start-of-term, the two boys glanced at Ms. Xu's flower shop on the way past. As usual, the store appeared devoid of customers, and James did not spot Ms. Xu through any of the windows before he had to crane his neck backwards. Emitting a sigh, he shared a glance with Sirius, who shrugged.

By the time they made it to London via the Muggle Underground, James' screech owl had taken to hooting every few moments, ruffled by the noisy journey. Walking to King's Cross Station as quickly as they could to avoid the sideways looks of passing Muggles, the small group passed through the metal wall to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters without drawing any more unwanted attention, and they waited on the platform for Remus' and Peter's families to meet them.

After spending several minutes in conversation amid the rolling smoke of the Hogwarts Express, James pointed out the forms of Mr. and Mrs. Lupin approaching from farther down the station, Remus leading them. Smiling, James' parents shook hands with the Lupins as Remus hugged his friends.

"It's great to see you again!" he exclaimed after breaking free. "I've been looking forward to this for weeks!"

"Have we got stories to tell you!" James told him. "Sirius almost burnt his own pants off a few days ago when my mum was making supper, and I had to splash water on his—"

"That's absolute rubbish, don't listen to him," Sirius interjected, shoving James (and his glasses) out of place. "It was James who nearly cracked his skull open during a small Quidditch scrimmage! I think he's lost his touch over the summer—I don't know if the Gryffindor team will take him back this year."

"What are you on about?" James inquired. "I don't remember being remotely injured!"

"Well, you wouldn't if you blacked out," Sirius responded, making Remus laugh.

"I never thought that I'd say this, but I've missed you," Remus said after James gasped and placed his hand over his heart in mock offense.

"James, Sirius, it's great to see you again!" Mr. Lupin interrupted their reunion, beaming. "You didn't grow too bored over the summer, did you?"

"No, sir," they answered together, each throwing the other a brief glower as Mrs. Lupin turned their way, her hair bouncing.

"Were you talking about Quidditch just now?" she prodded. "I've only ever seen pictures of players in those wonderful moving photographs, but I've always wanted to see a game in action! Do you play?"

"Yeah," James answered, puffing out his chest. "I'm a Chaser!"

"What's it like?" she burst before catching herself. "Flying on a broomstick, that is. I can barely manage one in the kitchen, and I can't imagine trusting my weight to one of them."

"It's easy, really," James told her. "Of course, it helps with the kind of model you have. Mine's an Airwake!" When Mrs. Lupin did not react, James looked back and forth between her and Mr. Lupin as Remus stifled a laugh.

"An Airwake?" Mr. Lupin repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Why, that ought to fly like a dream!"

"It's like riding a cloud," James replied, recovering his excitement with a grin.

Mr. Lupin opened his mouth to reply, but he was stopped by the sudden appearance of Sirius' family just to the right. Halting at the sight of Sirius and the Potters, Mr. and Mrs. Black stood behind Regulus, their youngest son, whose black-haired head stood a few centimeters below his brother's. The Blacks all had the same dark complexion, and at the moment, they all shared the look of someone who was being forced to deal with an unruly horde of pixies.

"Ah, Orion! Walburga! You have perfect timing!" James' father greeted the Blacks. "The boys were just about to board!"

Harrumphing, Sirius began to pull his friends away until James' mother spoke and stopped him. "Have you met Lyall and Hope?" she asked the Blacks. "Their son is a good friend of Sirius'."

Staying put, James, Sirius, and Remus watched Mr. and Mrs. Black as they eyed the Lupins up and down. Dressed in impeccably-suited robes, they curled their lips at the sight of the Lupins' Muggle attire, and Mrs. Black turned up her nose as if having caught wind of a Dungbomb.

"How do you do," Mr. Black finally said, failing to extend his hand. Hardening their jaws, Remus' parents merely nodded back. Noticing the tension, James' father quickly tried to recover the situation by turning to the boys.

"You'd better run along," he told them. "The train will be leaving soon."

Turning to leave the situation, they had taken no more than three steps when Mrs. Black's loud voice cut through the air like a Severing Charm.

"They're not Muggles, are they?"

As Remus froze beside him, James spun around to witness the Blacks and Lupins staring each other down. Gaping, James' parents did not have time to react before Mr. Lupin bared his teeth.

"I am a wizard," he told the Blacks with the sort of slowness that comes before an animal's pounce, "and my wife is non-magical."

At this, Mr. and Mrs. Black recoiled even more, but Mr. Lupin held their gazes unflinchingly. Reaching up to grab his arm, Mrs. Lupin tried to get him to step away, but he did not move, and Regulus kept his eyes trained on his parents for their response.

"You would turn on your heritage like that?" Mrs. Black huffed, and the hair stood up on Mr. Lupin's head.

"Marrying a Muggle is not traitorous!"

"I guess that depends where you're coming from," Mr. Black sneered, eyeing the Lupins' clothing once again.

"What do you mean by that?" Mr. Lupin barked, clenching his fists. Neither one of the Blacks answered him, and a few tense moments passed until Sirius' mother finally straightened and snapped out a command.

"Regulus, Sirius, come along!" she nearly yelled over the bustling station. "You can't be late!" Having only completed a half-turn, she quickly spun back around when she realized that Sirius was not following her. "Sirius! What did I just tell you?"

"I'm getting on the train with my mates," Sirius told her, folding his arms as he remained rooted in place.

"Your _mates_?" she hissed back, making no attempt to lower her voice. "Sirius, we don't associate with blood traitors!"

Flushing a deep scarlet, Remus looked down while his mother barely managed to keep Mr. Lupin from jumping forward. Sirius' glare only intensified, and James, expecting Mrs. Black to shout another retort, started when his mother crossed her arms and beat everyone to a response.

"Blood traitors? Are your opinions really that outdated?" she asked Mrs. Black, making everyone turn towards her. "The Lupins are a respectable family, Walburga—much more, in fact, than yours seems to be." As Mrs. Black's jaw dropped, James' mother quickly turned to Sirius with a gentle smile. "Excepting you, dear, of course. I meant no offense."

Taking a big gulp of air, Mrs. Black prepared to snap back at her until James' father cut her off. "I'm afraid that I have to agree with Euphemia on this one," he told the Blacks evenly, the towering heights of Sirius' parents making him look like a Puffskein staring down two mountain trolls. "Now, if you don't mind, I should really ask you to leave before this escalates."

Glaring at him, Mrs. Black curled her lip and gestured for Sirius. "Come here now, Sirius. I don't want you around either of these families again."

"I'm not leaving, Mum!" Sirius answered, still standing immobile.

"Sirius, you will do as she says!" Mr. Black snarled, but Sirius lifted his chin.

"_I'm not leaving!_" he repeated, and James' father spoke again before his parents could retaliate.

"I don't think I've ever met anyone quite as stubborn as Sirius, and I doubt that you're going to make him comply. Besides, he's old enough to make his own decisions."

Grinding her teeth, Mrs. Black whirled on James' father with her black eyes ablaze. "Don't pretend to know anything about my son!"

"There's no need for them to leave. We'll do it ourselves," Mr. Lupin interjected, grabbing Remus' hand and pulling him away. "We shouldn't have to waste any more time."

"No, don't go!" James called out before the Lupins could storm off, running after them. "We'll come, too!"

Promptly joined by Sirius, James threw one last glance over his shoulder as Mrs. Black bristled. "Get back here this instant, Sirius!" she yelled, but they broke into a jog to catch up with the Lupins, leaving James' parents standing alone with the Blacks.

Hurrying along at a near-run beside Remus, James threw occasional glances at his friend, but he kept his eyes averted as Mr. Lupin tugged him along. Finally, the small party came to a stop near one of the train's back cars, and Mr. Lupin pulled his son in front of him to say goodbye.

"Are you able to get on from here?" Nodding, Remus did not look up, and Mrs. Lupin threw her husband a pleading look. Giving his best smile, Mr. Lupin patted Remus' shoulder before pushing him on his way. "We'll see you at Christmastime, all right?"

"Have a great first day, boys!" Mrs. Lupin told James and Sirius before she and her husband vanished farther down the platform. After waving awkwardly, James and Sirius turned towards the Hogwarts Express with Remus in silence.

When they started to pull their suitcases onto the train, James finally cleared his throat and faced Remus. "So, how was your summer?"

"Oh, it was fine enough," he answered, shrugging. "We changed neighborhoods once or twice, but it couldn't be helped. What did you do?"

"Eh, nothing much," James replied, not wanting to mention that most of his and Sirius' break had been occupied by Animagus-related research. "Are you ready for classes to start?"

"As much as I can be, I suppose," Remus responded as he waited for Sirius to board the train in front of him. "Do you think that we should look for Peter? The whistle's going to blow any minute."

"Call me a Seer, but I don't think that's going to be a problem," Sirius spoke up from inside the train, peering down the hallway. Beckoning to the others, he added, "I think that you'd better come with me."

Frowning, James leapt after Sirius while Remus climbed up behind them, and he soon spotted three of his least favorite people just a few compartments away. Cackling with his fellow Slytherins Mulciber and Avery, Sebastian Wilkes was standing over Peter's fallen form with the heel of his boot pressing against Peter's suitcase. Breaking into a run, James rushed towards the scene and pulled out his wand for good measure, brandishing it as his friends followed closely behind.

"Oh, look who's here: it's Potter the Pig-Headed and his group of misfits come to rescue their mate!" Wilkes announced when he caught sight of them, and he smirked at his Housemates with a turn of his blond head. "This day just keeps on getting better and better, doesn't it?"

"If you had any amount of intelligence in that thick skull of yours, you'd be running away by now," James retorted, sliding to a halt just a few paces away. "Let our mate up, or we'll make you wish that you had!"

Turning his head at the sound of James' voice, Peter looked up at him from the floor, breathing a sigh of relief as his curly hair flopped over his eyes. "James! You found me!"

"Shut up, Pettigrew!" Mulciber commanded, giving Peter's leg a sharp kick with his massive foot and silencing him.

"Should we find a prefect?" Remus asked James from behind, wiping his forehead after having dragged his suitcase all the way after his friends. "It'll probably be easier than starting a fight in the middle of the hallway."

"And what? Have them let Wilkes get off with a harsh word and the loss of a few House points?" James snapped over his shoulder. "I don't think so!" Glaring back at the Slytherins, he demanded, "Back away slowly, or we'll blow you out of the train before you can blink!"

"Do you honestly think that we're going to do as you say?" Wilkes snorted. "You're not nearly as important as you seem to think you are."

Reaching down, Wilkes flicked open the suitcase at his feet and pulled out one of Peter's silk nightshirts while James and Sirius raised their wands. Turning over the salmon-colored fabric, Wilkes wrinkled his nose as he ignored the threatening wands pointed his way.

"Who even wears these anymore?" he scoffed, peering through the shirt's neck opening to the other side. "It's like you raided your mum's panty drawer!"

"Put it down!" James commanded, and Wilkes tossed the shirt to Avery.

"Go ahead, Conway," he told him, and Avery ripped the nightshirt in half with a grin under his beak-like nose. Snarling, James and Sirius each took a step forward, but Wilkes looked over their shoulders with a smile and said, "I think that we've stalled for long enough. Now, Severus!"

"Look out, James!" Peter called out as all three of his friends turned around, but it was too late. Stepping out of a nearby compartment, Severus Snape blasted James' and Sirius' wands out of their hands and sent them and Remus flying into the wall with just two flicks of his wand.

"_Expelliarmus! Adfigo Murus!_" the greasy-haired boy cried, and James felt the train's wall adhere to him as his back slammed against it. No matter how hard he struggled, he could only move a few centimeters in any direction before the wall sucked him back into place, pinning him down. Eventually, he had to admit defeat, and he glared at Snape as the greasy-headed boy paced in front of his prey with a smirk.

"Way to _stick_ it to them, Severus!" Avery praised, and James felt the train begin to chug forward as the whistle blew, signaling their departure. Fighting against the unyielding wall, Sirius clenched his teeth as the Slytherins stepped in front of them.

"You're going to regret this!" he growled, but Wilkes only laughed as he continued to struggle.

"It looks like Lupin left his suitcase lying around, too!" he pointed out, stalking towards the abandoned case where it sat on the floor. "Let's see what sort of clothes he wears to bed!"

Next to James, Remus's eyes widened. "No, don't open that!"

"Hiding something, Lupin?" Wilkes provoked over his shoulder as he reached down to unlatch the suitcase.

"No, you don't understand!" Remus insisted. "You really shouldn't—"

Ignoring him, Wilkes lifted the lid only to jump back as a ball of gray fur came barreling out of the suitcase, yowling as it leapt at his face. Remus' cat had grown almost twice as large since the last time that James had seen it, and Wilkes only narrowly avoided the slash that the mottled feline aimed at his nose by leaping backwards into Mulciber. Taking off as soon as it hit the ground, the cat was briefly chased by spells shot off by Snape and Avery until finally stopping at the end of the hallway, quivering in place.

"Now look what you've done!" Remus admonished Wilkes, shaking his head as he stared after his pet. "It took forever to get Mussmug in there!"

Snarling, Wilkes regained his balance by shoving off of Mulciber. "You rotten little prat, you could have told me!"

"Listening really doesn't seem to be your strongest quality," Remus muttered under his breath, but Wilkes overheard and bristled.

"You'll pay for that, Lupin!" he spat, pulling out his wand and marching up to the three Gryffindors stuck on the wall. "Severus, watch Pettigrew and make sure that he doesn't get away! Nigel, you get the mongrel!"

Obeying swiftly, Snape moved over to Peter and blocked his path to the other end of the hallway, guarding him with his wand at his chest. Although slower to comply after Mussmug's attack, Mulciber nevertheless took out his wand and stomped towards the cowering feline while Wilkes continued glaring at James and the others on the wall.

"Hurry up, Nigel! Stun it and bring it over here!"

Grunting with a nod, Mulciber lowered his wand at Mussmug and held it steady. "_Petrificus Totalus!_" he said, but Mussmug sprang aside as a white light blasted from the Slytherin's wand-tip, hissing as she continued to shake. Scowling, Mulciber repeated the spell, but Mussmug dashed between his legs and sprinted for the other end of the hallway. Before she could slip past, Avery caught the back of her frazzled neck before she and held her at a safe distance from his body as she spat and clawed the air.

"Throw it off of the train," Wilkes commanded, raising his wand to keep James, Sirius, and Remus motionless as Avery began walking towards the nearest window. However, before Avery could lift the glass pane, Frank Longbottom suddenly stepped into the hallway with Dill Stewart at his side. Relaxing slightly, James watched as Frank stopped in front of the Slytherins and scowled.

"Hold it right there, Avery," Frank announced, narrowing his eyes beneath his wildly curly brown hair. "I don't seem to recall you owning a cat."

"What's it to you, Longbottom?" Avery sneered, and Frank turned his glare towards Wilkes.

"What are you doing with my mates on the wall?" he demanded, and the Slytherins shared glances.

"None of your business," Wilkes answered in a clipped tone, eyeing Frank and Dill up and down.

Despite the circumstances, Dill smiled. "I'd let them down if I were you."

"And who's going to make me?" Wilkes mocked.

"Oh, let's not be daft," Dill replied, grinning as if attending a Sunday picnic. "You seem to be forgetting one very important thing."

"And what's that?" Snape spoke up, narrowing his black eyes.

"It's our fifth year now," Dill told him simply. "You know what that means." Confused, the Slytherins exchanged glances while Dill crossed his arms with a beam. "Chances are that one of us is now a prefect."

Freezing, the Slytherins watched as Frank tapped a shining badge on his chest that James had yet failed to notice. "That's right, and you four just earned an evening of detention."

"You can't do that!" Wilkes exclaimed as the others cried objections. "We aren't even at Hogwarts yet!"

"Even so, I don't think that Professor Slughorn will be too happy to hear you were causing trouble on the journey," Frank replied. "Now give me the cat, Avery, or I'll see if I can make it two evenings."

Grimacing, Avery dropped Mussmug into Frank's arms while Dill grinned down at Snape, who was at least a head shorter than him. "Your wand away, if you please. It might accidentally go off and catch Peter in the face."

Glaring at him, Snape pocketed his wand, and Dill stepped forward to tap the train's wall with his own. Instantly, James felt himself unstick from the wall, and he, Sirius, and Remus dropped free. Scratching Mussmug between the ears to calm her, Frank nodded towards the far door.

"Detention tonight. Don't forget," he told the Slytherins, who slowly ambled off with matching scowls. As they passed the newly-freed Gryffindors, James grinned at Remus.

"Maybe next time we really should find a prefect!" he said while Sirius turned a snarl on the Slytherins.

"We'll finish this later!" he spat, and Snape glared at him before slinking after the others.

Scrambling up from the floor with the help of Dill, Peter teetered to his feet and beamed at Frank. "Thanks for the help!" he told him. "I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't come!"

"A prefect now, eh?" James asked, studying the gleaming emblem on Frank's robes. "It sure feels nice to have friends in high places!"

"In all honesty, I'm not sure if I can convince Slughorn to go through with the detention, but he's a pretty fair bloke most of the time," Frank answered, shrugging with a smile. "At the very least, being a prefect will help with situations like these." Glancing at the floor, he asked, "Is your suitcase supposed to be open, Peter?"

Shaking his head, Peter bent down and picked up his torn shirt with a sigh. "This really was my mum's," he moaned. "I must have packed it by accident."

"No problem, I can ask our roommate Frederick to fix it!" Dill announced, taking the nightshirt from Peter and tossing it over one shoulder. "He's great with a wand." Grinning over at Frank, he asked, "Are you going to keep holding that all day, or what?"

Starting, Frank glanced down at his arms as Mussmug let out a raucous snore, fast asleep in his grasp. Holding his arms out, he offered the pile of dirty fur to James and his friends. "Er, which one of you does this belong to?"

"You can put her in here," Remus told him with a smile and a half-shrug, dragging his suitcase forward so that Frank could place Mussmug inside.

"Are you sure it's safe?" James inquired as Remus locked his suitcase gingerly, trying not wake the sleeping feline.

"She wasn't cooperating with her cage this morning," Remus replied, itching the back of his neck. "This was the only way I could think of taking her with me."

"Let's go find a compartment that can fit all of us," Frank piped up. "I was looking forward to a relaxing train ride, and Wilkes and his cohorts aren't going to ruin it for me."

Voicing their agreement, the others located an empty compartment and stayed together for the length of the journey, catching up and trading laughs until the Honeydukes Express stopped by. After filling their pockets with jumping, dancing, shrinking, yodeling, and exploding candies, the boys snacked until they finally reached Hogsmeade Station later that evening. All six of them journeyed to the Hogwarts castle in the horseless carriages waiting for the returning students, and James grinned at the sight of the familiar double doors leading into the Entrance Hall as he passed between them.

Walking ahead of him, his roommates headed into the Great Hall with Frank and Dill, sitting down at the Gryffindor table while the other students filed in. Thousands of stars shined from the ceiling, magically representing the night sky outside, and James nudged Sirius before pointing towards the High Table at Professor Slughorn. The golden-mustached wizard looked as if he had put on a few pounds over the summer, and he was chuckling with the much shorter Filius Flitwick, the Ravenclaw Head of House. Leaning over, Headmaster Dumbledore added a few words to their conversation, making both Slughorn and Flitwick laugh as they waited for the feast to begin.

After another minute or so, the Great Hall quieted as the first-years entered and took turns being placed into their Houses by the Sorting Hat, a tattered, pointed hat that had a tear on its brim like a mouth. Having sat through the ceremony in years before, James ignored most of it while he chatted with his friends, but he and Sirius looked up and laughed when an especially small student tripped on the way up to the Sorting Hat. Pausing mid-sentence, the tight-lipped Deputy Headmistress, Professor McGonagall, narrowed her eyes and gave him a cold stare down her spectacled nose as he recovered.

"Diggle, Dedalus," she finished, and the tiny student beamed up at her before donning the Sorting Hat. To the amusement of James, the Sorting Hat soon let the name "Gryffindor" ring around the Great Hall, and he and Sirius both whooped loudly as Diggle sauntered towards their table.

After the queue of first-years had finally dispersed, hundreds of platters filled the tables, and Diggle let out a strangled sort of delighted yelp before everyone began to eat ravenously. For the better part of an hour, James and his friends filled their stomachs with the best cuisine that Hogwarts had to offer, including mounds of scalloped potatoes, juicy slices of veal, and countless sugary snacks that doubled as decorations. Finally, after James' midriff ached from over-consumption, Dumbledore stood up from the High Table, his half-moon spectacles reflecting the faux starlight back at the students and concealing his eyes. Unable to read his expression, James simply rested with his chin in his hand as he listened to the Headmaster's annual address.

"Welcome to Hogwarts for the beginning of another school year! Before you all head off to the long-awaited warmth of your beds, I must ask you to welcome our two newest members of staff: Septima Vector, who will be taking over the Arithmancy position, and Perdix Aven, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor!"

Clapping with the rest of the Great Hall, James watched as a witch and wizard stood from the High Table and waved to the students. Professor Vector looked rather severe despite her youth, her tight jaw reminiscent of McGonagall's; however, unlike the Transfiguration professor, she allowed her thin black hair to travel all the way down to her waist. Standing beside her, Professor Aven wore his hair in a short ponytail, and he sported a pair of thinly-rimmed spectacles. Frowning, James squinted as he spotted a thin object that seemed to be stuck to the wizard's head, and as Professor Aven made to sit down again, James realized that he had a pencil inserted over one ear. Mildly impressed, James briefly wondered if he had used a Sticking Charm to keep it in place before Dumbledore gestured for attention again. Glancing down at his pocket, James pulled out his wand and placed it over his ear, releasing his hands slowly as Sirius turned to stare at him. To James' delight, his wand stayed in place.

"What are you doing?" Sirius asked.

"It stays!" James exclaimed with a grin, pointing at his ear, and Sirius shook his head as he turned back to Dumbledore, who had started speaking again.

". . . which Argus Filch will explain to anyone who still has questions. Now, you are all excused to your dormitories, and the first-years can refer to the prefects for directions after everything is finished."

Raising his finger, Diggle objected in a squeaky voice, "But who are our pre—"

Before he could finish, the other students in the Great Hall rose from their seats, the quiet chatter of the room soon escalating into a dull roar as everyone began to file towards the double doors. Looking to the side, James laughed as he spotted Sirius drop his wand at the sudden commotion, having been caught with it halfway to his ear. Frank began to gather Diggle and the other first-years, and James grouped with his roommates on the way out of the Great Hall.


	3. Trapped in Thought

**Trapped in Thought**

In the morning, James gathered in the Great Hall with his roommates before their first class of the day. Having little time for chatter, they only paused long enough to read a short letter that a tawny owl dropped onto James' plate early in the meal, which explained what had happened after they left the Blacks on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. According to James' parents, Mrs. Black had left the Potters with one last scathing remark before marching off with Regulus and her husband, but James' father described her manner as "cornered and cowed;" whether accurate or not, the portrayal brought a smile to Sirius' face before the boys left the Great Hall.

On their way to class, James and his roommates met Frank in the corridor and waited for him to fill them in. "I spoke with Professor Slughorn about the incident on the train last night, and he had a talk with Wilkes' gang. I think that they're staying after classes today to clean up the dungeons a little."

After exchanging grins, James, Sirius, and Peter waved goodbye to Remus, who headed down an adjoining hall to Study of Ancient Runes. As the others walked towards the Muggle Studies classroom, James shared a nod with Sirius, and they pulled Peter into an abandoned classroom and shoved the door shut.

"Hey, what's going on?" Peter demanded.

"Have you been practicing Transfiguration over the summer?" James interrogated him, and Peter flushed as he understood the reason for his roommates' sudden need for privacy. Glancing between his feet, he scuffed the ground with his toe.

"Kind of . . ."

"_Kind of_?" Sirius repeated, and Peter glared at him defiantly.

"I've been reading plenty about it!" he defended. "I just haven't been able to practice, is all. We aren't allowed to use magic outside of school until we're seventeen, you know."

"Did you try nicking your mum's wand?" James asked. "The Ministry won't be able to trace hers."

"She'd kill me if she suspected that I was using her wand!" Peter objected. "I've been lucky enough about the reading. I told my mum that I was studying extra hard for Transfiguration, and she was pleased enough that she didn't think to look at the book titles in detail."

"Then offer to keep the fire going under the pot while she's making supper," James suggested. "It works every time."

"My mum insists on me using magic as little as possible over the summer," Peter mumbled, glancing at his feet. "She says it improves character. Besides, even if she did allow me to use her wand, you know that I'm not as clever with spells as you are."

"That's no excuse not to keep up!" Sirius admonished him. "You need to keep practicing, especially now that we're almost done with the Animagus Potion!"

"You've almost finished it?" Peter asked, his mouth falling open.

"We might be able to start brewing by Christmas," Sirius answered.

"Christmas? Then that's still months away!" Peter sighed in relief, holding his chest.

"It'll be here before you know it," James told him, "and we need to be ready. _Animagi in the Making_ doesn't explain what could happen if your body isn't used to Self-Transfiguration by the time you take the potion, and you don't want to be the first person to find out."

Gulping, Peter allowed Sirius to shove _The_ _Home Lives and Social Habits of British Muggles_ into his arms. "Here, I wrote down a few more spells in the first chapter. Remus will never think of looking in a textbook for a class he doesn't even take!"

Accepting the book with a grimace, Peter shuffled after the others as they exited the classroom and continued up a nearby flight of stairs. Once the boys had reached their destination, Professor Merryweather called the class to order and began her lecture, though James and his friends paid little attention as they perused Sirius' notes on Self-Transfiguration. Because it looked like the three of them were studying the class textbook, Professor Merryweather only thought to interrupt them once.

"So Squibs are different from Muggles in that they are non-magical people born into wizarding families. They're thought of as the antithesis of Muggle-borns, and although the British Ministry does not require them to live apart from wizarding society, Squibs have often faced distrust from the magical communi—Potter! Black! Pettigrew! Stop snickering at the illustrations and pay attention! I'll separate you!"

Excluding the one incident, the lesson passed rather quietly, and the Gryffindors soon left for the Hogwarts grounds, where Professor Sprout would be teaching Herbology in the greenhouses. Joining the Hufflepuff students in their year, James, Sirius, and Peter entered the third greenhouse and found that Remus had not yet arrived. Marion Norfolk, one of the Hufflepuff fifth-years from the previous class, was conversing with Professor Sprout in the front, and most of the other students were fighting yawns as they waited for the lesson to commence. Stopping a few paces inside, James stared at the owl-sized plants settled on the tables inside the greenhouse, their bulbous heads waving back and forth on top of thin stems. If they had not been moving so listlessly, James might have thought them partially sentient.

"Black, you're blocking the doorway," a voice complained, cutting into his thoughts, and James turned around to see Lily Evans attempting to squeeze around Sirius with her friends Alice Newshod and Hillary Vance.

Making no effort to move aside, Sirius crossed his arms and announced, "There's a fee to get in, Evans. One Galleon and a quick peck on the cheek."

Rolling her eyes as Hillary fought back a giggle, Lily shoved him away so as to step inside. "Har, har. You seem to be forgetting that we aren't all as well-off as you."

"Nor anywhere near as attractive, unfortunately," Sirius replied after regaining his footing. "It's my cross to bear." Passing him, Hillary slapped her hand to her mouth to prevent another laugh from escaping.

"Have you heard the good news, Evans?" James cut in, giving the back of Lily's crimson hair a lopsided grin.

"Did you fall off your broomstick?" she inquired in mock hopefulness as she turned about.

"Nah, even better—ol' Snivellus landed in detention, and it's only the first day of school!" James answered. "How's that for a stroke of luck?"

"I'm surprised that you aren't there with him," Lily retorted, narrowing her bright green eyes. "Merlin knows that you must have been involved in whatever happened."

"So you didn't know," James said, crossing his arms with another smile. "Are you turning over a new leaf, perhaps? Vowed to stop associating with confirmed creeps?"

"If I had, we wouldn't be having this conversation, now would we?" she responded, and James felt the corner of his mouth lift as she tossed her hair over her shoulder to face the other way.

"Merlin, I've missed her winning personality," Sirius commented, giving her turned back a grimace.

"Yeah," James agreed before catching himself. Throwing him a quick look, Sirius moved out of the doorway as Remus entered the greenhouse, breathing hard after the long walk.

"Venus Thought-Traps?" he asked aloud upon setting eyes on the potted plants around the room. "I thought that we wouldn't get to those for another year."

Giving the swaying bulbs another sweeping glance, James soon turned his eyes back to Professor Sprout as she shooed Marion away and addressed the class. "All right, students, it's time to begin." As a few of James' classmates began to pull on their gloves, Sprout held up her hand. "Put your gloves away. You won't be needing them."

Exchanging looks, the students obeyed while Sprout directed them to the plants around the room, each person stopping in front of a pot. Picking up one of the ceramic containers, Professor Sprout extended her wrist until it brushed against the plant's thin tendrils inside, which quickly unfurled and wrapped around her arm.

"Pick up your Venus Thought-Traps like shown and allow the vines to touch bare skin. Don't worry, they won't hurt you."

Knowing better than to object despite Herbology's reputation, the students slowly obeyed. Expecting the pot to be heavier, James brought his up a little too suddenly and compensated by lowering the plant to chest-height. Touching his wrist to the plant, he allowed the Thought-Trap to wrap around his arm all the way up to his elbow, its grip hardly more noticeable than the air. The thin vine tickled at his forearm, and he looked back up at Professor Sprout as she called out to the class.

"Venus Thought-Traps are extremely sensitive, so avoid pulling too hard on their tendrils," she warned, and the students all stiffened. Petting her own plant on its crowning bulb, Sprout said, "These plants are, in fact, sensitive in another way, as found out when first discovered by Claudius Gunter in—"

"Is it still okay to breathe?" a raspy voice interrupted, and James whipped his head around just in time to see Peter's Thought-Trap open a seam in its bulbous head and speak again. "Wait, why is everyone staring at me? Do I have something in my—OH!"

Staring down at his plant with wide eyes, Peter let out a shrill shriek as the other plants around the room opened their bulbous heads to laugh derisively at the sight. Shocked, James glanced down at the pot in his hands as the plant inside cackled loudly, many of the other students doing the same. Throughout the room, exclamations of, "Is this plant talking?" and "Whoa, groovy!" echoed from students and Thought-Traps alike while Professor Sprout tried to call order back into the greenhouse.

"Calm down! Things will only get worse if you panic!" she yelled, and the gravelly voices of the plants gradually died down so she could speak at a normal volume. "Venus Thought-Traps can pick up your inner dialogue just by touching your skin, and their rudimentary respiratory system allows them to repeat what they sense. If you refrain from thinking too much, we should be able to carry out a relatively quiet class session."

"That shouldn't be too hard for most people in here," Lily's plant spoke up. As a few of the other Thought-Traps began snickering, James' plant burst into raucous laughter, causing a few of the students to glare in his direction as he reddened and tried to make it quiet down. Eventually, his plant calmed with a few cries of, "Stop it, stop it, STOP IT!" and Sprout cleared her throat after giving James a heavy frown.

"As I was trying to say earlier, Venus Thought-Traps carry a special sort of bond with the first person that they come into contact with, although they will not hesitate to connect with other sentient beings. In fact, a tribe of Red Caps once 'adopted' a garden of Thought-Traps, and they would carry the plants wherever they went. Unfortunately, the tribe died out rather quickly, as the Thought-Traps tended to reveal the Red Caps' locations to nearby predators."

"That's unfortunate," Alice's plant spoke up, and Alice's round face flushed as everyone turned to look at her.

Going on, Sprout said, "Aside from their disabilities regarding concealment, Thought-Traps have several uses when it comes to potioneering. However, the Ministry of Magic has tried to limit their commercial use when their habitat receded to the Cley Marshes and some southeastern regions in the Americas. Their survival is valued for their therapeutic purposes, as many wizards and witches find it useful to hear their thoughts voiced out loud. Can anyone guess as to why Venus Thought-Traps are sometimes preferred to Pensieves?"

Raising his hand awkwardly with his plant's tendrils hugging his arm, James caught Professor Sprout's attention. "Pardon me, Professor," he said, "but if one of us has a question, should we raise our hands or let the Thought-Traps ask for us? Or will they raise a vine if we think of it?"

Although she looked a tad disappointed, Professor Sprout nodded his way. "Raising your hand is fine as long as you don't let go of the pot. Does anyone else have a question?"

"Yeah," Sirius answered, lifting his hand in a similar fashion to James. "If one Thought-Trap grabs another, which will do the speaking?"

"Venus Thought-Traps are not sentient," Sprout responded. "They don't have the ability to think on their own."

"What if you're holding two?" James piped up. "Will they try to yell over each other?"

Nodding, Sirius added, "Suppose that you get a song stuck in your head—"

"Does anyone have a _serious_ question?" Sprout demanded, raising her voice over the chuckling of the scattered plants.

Raising his hand again, Sirius waited until Sprout could no longer ignore him before speaking gravely, "But Professor, all of my questions are."

At this, the room erupted into laughter, and Professor Sprout held her head as students and Thought-Traps alike began to cackle. However, everyone hushed a few moments later and stared at Remus as his Thought-Trap groaned over the commotion.

"I swear, Sirius, say anything else and I'll toss your stash of Cauldron Cakes down Gryffindor Tower again!" Looking between his hands, Remus flushed bright orange as his Thought-Trap continued to speak loudly in the new silence. "Oh, Merlin, they're all staring at me! Wait, how do I make this thing stop talking? Don't think, don't think! Oh no, whatever you do, don't think about—"

Releasing his hold on the plant, Remus stared with wide eyes as the ceramic pot shattered on the floor. Gasping, a few of the closer students jumped back as the writhing plant tumbled free, its thin tendrils pawing the air.

"Oh, Lupin!" Professor Sprout sighed, lifting her eyes to the ceiling as she moved forward to clean up the mess. "The rest of you, take some of the fertilizer on the tables and start feeding your plants. No more than a few pinches at a time, please! Thought-Traps are very delicate!"

Moving away, the students arranged themselves in several oblong ovals around the room, thunking their pots down on the tables in front of them. Following Lily and her roommates to a nearby table, James stood next to them as Remus stayed behind to hover over Professor Sprout. When James set his pot down next to Lily's, the red-head shot him a brief scowl and slid to the side. Moving closer again, James grinned at her.

"Do you have somewhere to go?" he teased just before Sirius slammed his Venus Thought-Trap directly onto his resting hand.

"Oops! Sorry, mate! It slipped!" Sirius apologized when James yelped and wrung his fingers, drawing a smirk from Lily as her roommates giggled. Placing his hands back around his pot as his Thought-Trap rewrapped its tendrils around his arm, Sirius said, "These things really don't have that good of a grip, do they?"

"Watch it next time!" James' Thought-Trap snapped while James sent Sirius a glare to match.

"Let's see what you've got here!" Professor Sprout cut in, approaching their table with Remus, who was holding his newly-potted plant. "Newshod, place your pot on the table, please. Your Thought-Trap is about to fall."

Blushing, Alice quickly slammed her pot onto the wood and hugged it to her midriff, the Thought-Trap promptly returning the gesture. Snickering at the mutual embrace, James and Sirius did their best to muffle their laughter by burying their mouths into their shoulders, and Lily glowered at the two of them before Professor Sprout turned to James.

"Let's see yours, Potter."

Holding his plant out in front of him, James waited while Sprout poked around the base for a moment and then straightened. "Do you see this here?" she pointed out, allowing James and the other students to lean in. "The dirt has been moved recently. That means that your Thought-Trap has been restless. It's good that it has your mind to feed off of now. It needs the mutual bond to thrive."

"Wait, it's feeding off my what?" James' plant spoke up.

"Poor thing, no wonder it's nutrient-deprived," another raspy voice commented, and Lily's Thought-Trap started chuckling as Remus flushed again.

"Nice one, Lupin," Lily's plant said, and Lily and Remus shared a brief smile. Feeling his face grow hot, James interjected by speaking without the aid of his Thought-Trap.

"Don't think too hard, mate," he jibed, and Remus' face fell as he stared down at his plant again.

Noticing nothing, Professor Sprout walked over to the next table. Sirius shot a glare at James and turned his back to him, facing Remus and Peter instead. Although James immediately felt bad, he set his jaw and ignored his roommates for the rest of the class period, which passed in relative silence save for the chatting voices of Lily and Hillary (Alice being too focused on holding her Thought-Trap to talk much). When the lesson finally ended, James deposited his plant at the front of the greenhouse with the rest of the students and felt brave enough to join his roommates again.

"Well, what do you think?" James asked the others, rubbing the back of his neck with a small laugh. "Would you let a Thought-Trap do the talking for you while you slept through class?" They chuckled in response, and James drew himself up with a smile. Lifting the corner of his mouth, Remus shook his head.

"I don't know, it seems a little risky," he answered. "It might start narrating your dreams."

"It might be fun to try at least once," Sirius said. "Potions might become more interesting if a Thought-Trap started snoring in the middle of class."

"Instead of people, you mean?" James joked, and the others laughed on the way out of the greenhouse. Once outside, James considered saying goodbye to Lily and her friends, but he decided that the effort would not be worth it when he and his roommates set off in the other direction.


	4. Gregory the Smarmy

**Gregory the Smarmy**

During the next few days, James reacquainted himself with his classes. Among his favorites were Transfiguration and Charms, taught respectively by Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick. James had always taken a particular liking to Transfiguration despite McGonagall's imposing character, but History of Magic and Care of Magical Creatures came with much less welcome. Professor Binns, the ghost who taught History of Magic, was as dreary as his subject matter, and he neither noticed nor cared whenever James slept or engaged in paper airplane wars with Sirius during his lectures. Lily, of course, minded the latter very much, but she could only send the two of them meaningful glares over her shoulder during the period; Remus, at least, had the patience to ignore his roommates whenever they horsed around, and James could tell that he sometimes grew drowsy himself during Binns' droning.

On the other hand, Care of Magical Creatures was a bit _too_ exciting. The Gryffindors and Slytherins in James' year had met Professor Kettleburn last year in their joint class, and none of the students had taken a particular liking to him. Most of their reservation had come from Kettleburn's peg legs and lack of a left arm, which were all the aftermath of the wizard's dangerous line of work. Although none of the students had come to harm during his classes, there had been a few close calls with flying horses and walking mushrooms. Most of the excitement in the class came from Remus (through no fault of his own), because every creature that Kettleburn brought in seemed to sense that something was wrong with the young Gryffindor. All that James could say to cheer up his friend was that none of the other students seemed to draw the connection between the animals' fright and Remus' presence. Not even Kettleburn or Hagrid, the gigantic Gameskeeper and self-appointed assistant to Kettleburn, took any notice of Remus' disengagement from the class.

After their first Care of Magical Creatures lesson, Remus trudged beside his roommates with a sullen look. "I don't know why I ever signed up for this class," he grumbled, kicking at the scarlet carpet of a castle hallway. "Did you see how the Slytherins looked at me when that Knarl tried to bite my finger off? I think they're onto me."

"If Wilkes and his cronies were actually smart enough to catch on, they would have made sure to tell us so," James snorted, patting his friend's shoulder. "Besides, that Knarl hardly nicked you! It seemed just as angry at that git Snivellus. For all his clumsiness, he could be a secret werewolf, too!"

"I wish that I didn't have to attend Care of Magical Creatures every week," Remus grunted in response.

"Couldn't you have dropped it after last year?" Peter asked.

"I didn't want to raise any questions," Remus sighed. "Professor McGonagall would have been understanding enough, but I would have had to speak with Professor Kettleburn about it, and he'd want an explanation. No offense to him, but if he ever found out about me, I don't think that he'd be able to keep his mouth shut in front of the other professors. Besides, with the way he fawns over the creatures he brings into class, he'd probably want to do a lesson series on me," he added, shuddering.

Grinning despite his roommate's melancholy, James poked Remus' side. "What's wrong with that? Just imagine Professor Kettleburn going on and on about your eating habits!"

"'The youthful werewolf is an intriguing specimen!'" Sirius spoke in his best impression of Kettleburn, which just ended up sounding like Sirius had caught a bad cold. "'A lamentably misunderstood creature, he spends his days whimpering at the moon and spending immoderate amounts of time reading his textbooks.'"

Fighting to choke back their laughter, James and Peter barely heeded Remus' hushing. Only the tiny Dedalus Diggle, who was passing by in the hallway, turned to the four and waved as he walked by, the other students ignoring them as they went on their ways. However, James and the others were soon stopped by Sirius' younger brother, Regulus, who turned the corner unannounced and ran straight into James. Grunting, James took a steadying step back while Regulus took the force of the blow, being a head shorter than him. Stumbling backwards, he nearly lost his grip on the parchment roll in his hand as he straightened, soon donning a scowl as he realized who he had run into.

"Hey, watch it, Reg!" James told him, smirking slightly as he brushed down his robes. Interested by the noise of the collision, Diggle and a few of the other passersby slowed down in the middle of the hallway to watch as James grinned at Regulus. "You might accidentally hurt yourself!"

Seemingly miffed by the growing crowd and James' use of a nickname, Regulus glowered back at him. "Look out yourself, Potter."

"Oi, don't mouth off to my mates, Reg," Sirius warned his brother, folding his arms. "You were the one that ran into him."

"Maybe I wouldn't have if he wasn't always with you," Regulus muttered, attempting to move around the four older boys, but James moved an arm out to stop him.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked, feeling the hair on the back of his neck prickle. When Regulus gave him another glare and tried to walk past again, James kept his arm out. "I mean it. What are you trying to say?"

"I mean that my brother doesn't choose his friends wisely, that's what," Regulus finally replied, and Sirius curled his lip.

"At least I _have_ friends, you prat," he responded. "Why don't I ever see you with the other idiots in your House?"

"I get on with them just fine," Regulus retorted, drawing back. "They're all wondering why you keep hanging around with blood traitors. They're even starting to call you one."

"Then let them!" Sirius exclaimed as several students gasped and started to whisper. "Why should I care what they think?"

His mouth falling open, Regulus stared at him in poorly-concealed disgust. "If our parents were to hear you—"

"Then I'd have said it louder," Sirius interrupted, making Regulus grit his teeth.

"Do you know what you're doing to us?" he hissed. "As if you befriending half-bloods isn't bad enough, now the whole family has to deal with the rumors!"

"Well, I'm sorry if our existence offends you," James broke in, gesturing to himself, Remus, and Peter, "but we're here to stay."

Ignoring him, Regulus glared up at Sirius, who eyed him with an almost bored look. "All right, if that's the way you want to go at it, Reg," Sirius finally spoke, drawing out his wand.

As Regulus took out his own, a couple of the watching students oohed and shuffled closer. Near the front, Diggle gasped while Sirius and Regulus moved into dueling stances.

"Shouldn't we get a professor?" he pleaded with Remus, the closest of James' roommates. Arms folded over himself, Remus avoided Diggle's gaze as Peter gaped between the Black brothers. Narrowing his eyes, James stepped forward to back up Sirius.

"That's two against one, James," Remus spoke quietly, ignoring Diggle.

"Your friend's right," Regulus pointed out, his eyes darting between James and Sirius to anticipate their next moves. "How very Gryffindor of you—you must feel so brave."

"What, are you afraid that you'll be crawling on the floor for the next month?" Sirius retorted. "You should have thought about that before now!" Raising his wand, he prepared to fight, but Regulus beat him to the spell.

"_Flipendo!_" he yelled, and Sirius ducked, the bright blue light narrowly missing the top of his head.

Biting his fingernails, Diggle danced in place for a moment before speaking to the room at large. "I'm going to find a professor!" Too entranced with the duel to notice Diggle's departure, Peter and the rest of the students began to cheer on Sirius as he retaliated.

"_Tarantellegra!_"

Diving, Regulus missed his spell, but he was soon hit head-on with the Seize-and-Pull Charm that James had sent his way. Almost losing grip on his wand as he was dragged across the floor towards his rivals, Regulus managed to flip onto his back and send a spell back at James.

"_Sumo Luto!_"

In response to Regulus' command, a glob of thick, grimy mud splashed across James' face, covering his glasses in a coat of brown goo. Drying instantly, the mud hardened where it had landed, and James let out a hiss as he tried to claw the hard-packed dirt off of his face. Succeeding only marginally, he felt something like a tendril of a vine creep around his leg, and he cried out as his feet were suddenly yanked out from under him. With a grunt, he landed hard on his backside as Sirius yelled out an incantation above him, and James quickly ripped off his soiled glasses and thrust them into his pocket before jumping to his feet. Spinning around, he noted with a wince that he would have a bruise in the morning where he had fallen; lifting his wand, he aimed it at Regulus as the third-year conjured an oversized, luminous bubble to ward off the last spell that Sirius had shot at him.

"_Expelliarmus!_" James and Sirius shouted as one once the bubble had popped, and Regulus barely had time to react as the two spells combined and blasted into his chest, sending him flying backwards. Parting to let Regulus fly by unimpeded, the watching students shouted encouragingly as James and Sirius advanced on the younger student, who had lost his wand after the last spell. Stopping within a few paces of him, James waited as Sirius glared at his brother.

"Do you take it back, Reg?" Sirius questioned, to which Regulus responded with a glare. Shaking his head, Sirius sneered and pointed his wand at Regulus' face. "I don't know what I was expecting," he snarled, and the students cheered as Regulus lifted his chin.

"Look out, it's Mrs. Norris!" one of the spectators cried out before Sirius could strike, and the students all turned to spy the caretaker's cat watching them from down the hall. Her lamp-like, yellow eyes were aglow, and the scrawny feline yowled eerily at the disrupters of the peace just before Peter gasped.

"It's Filch!" he exclaimed, pointing, and James had to squint without the aid of his glasses to make out the form of Mrs. Norris' owner. Upon spying James and Sirius standing over Regulus, Argus Filch's bulging eyes gleamed, and he licked his ever-twitching lips.

"What's this, my sweet?" he wheezed to his cat, hobbling forward as best he could with his hunched back. "Fighting in the corridors, are we? We'll see about that! Detention for the lot of you, I should think, if I can't hang you from your ankles in the dungeons!"

Turning to each other, James and Sirius shared a single look and bolted in the other direction. "Catch you later!" James called over his shoulder to Filch, and Regulus pushed himself up to a sitting position.

"Come back here, you insolent whelps!" Filch yelled at James and Sirius, breaking into a limping run as Mrs. Norris began speeding after the boys.

"Do us a favor, will you?" Sirius called out to the nearby students, and they parted. Waving in thanks, James and Sirius kept up their rapid pace as the crowd applauded their flight. Ignoring the noise behind them, they nevertheless glanced down when the skinny form of Mrs. Norris shot past them, attempting to slow them down by nipping at their heels.

"Get stuffed, you balmy cat!" Sirius growled, and he shot a red spell towards his feet that sent Mrs. Norris skidding away with a yelp. Unconcerned by the expletives streaming from Filch, he and James continued down the first floor while searching for a place to escape.

"Where's the next staircase?" James asked, beginning to pant.

"Not for a while," Sirius replied. "I suppose that your Invisibility Cloak is back in our room?"

"Yeah," James answered, grimacing. "I should really start carrying that around."

"Behind here!" Sirius suggested, pulling James to the side. In a moment, they had ducked behind a statue of an unattractive wizard with an ingratiating smile, the statue's large girth more than wide enough to hide both of them from the hallway. Looking down, James read a plaque bearing the name "Gregory the Smarmy."

"Do you think Filch will—"

"Shh!" Sirius interrupted, clapping his hand against James' mouth as he peered around the statue's stomach. Appearing at the end of the hallway, Filch glanced back and forth as Mrs. Norris waddled behind him, her fur still standing on end from Sirius' spell.

"Come on, Norris dear, they can't be far," Filch cackled, and he began peeking into different doorways. Shaking his head, Sirius pressed his back against Gregory the Smarmy.

"It looks like we'll just have to blast our way out of this one," he whispered, but James was distracted by a dark line between the stone slabs in the wall behind them. Squinting to see the black strip more clearly, he reached forward; expecting to trace his hand against the wall, he started when his fingers slipped into a hollowed-out space just behind the granite.

"Sirius, look! There's a room behind the wall!"

Immediately alert, Sirius looked at where James had stuck his hand behind the statue as James pulled out his wand. "_Mobililapus!_" he commanded, and a small purple light issued out from the end of his wand and connected with the stone. Sliding forward as the wall opened up, the statue of Gregory the Smarmy did not so much as make a grinding sound against the floor as it revealed a dark opening, easily large enough for two people to climb through.

Jumping through first, James waited for Sirius to follow him before moving the stone back into place, praying that Filch would not notice the shifting statue. Once the wall had closed back over them, the boys watched the caretaker quietly by the small beam of light coming through the hole's opening. After a minute or two, Filch finally walked in front of the statue and blocked the light issuing through the thin crack.

"Keep looking, Mrs. Norris—they're around here somewhere," he muttered, pacing right in front of the boys. "I can feel them lurking in this hallway."

Turning to each other, James and Sirius grinned as Filch and his cat walked right by their hiding place, apparently clueless to the existence of the secret room. Putting his finger to his lips, James mimed that both of them should wait until Filch had left the hallway to reveal themselves, and neither of them moved a muscle as the caretaker continued searching. After a few minutes of scouring the hall, Filch let out a curse and stomped back towards Gregory the Smarmy.

"Search the hall again! They have to be hiding here somewhere!"

Trotting at his heels, Mrs. Norris let out a low meow and started sniffing at the floor in front of the statue, keeping James and Sirius trapped as her master strode off towards the other end of the corridor. Sharing a glance, the boys waited for Mrs. Norris to leave, but she and Filch stayed within a short distance of their hiding place. Eventually, James felt his stiffened legs begin to grow tired of standing in one place, and he adjusted his weight between his feet.

When the wait had grown almost too long for him to bear, James was suddenly distracted by a tug on his sleeve, and he turned to see Sirius putting his finger over his lips and pulling him further into the dark. Moving as quietly as he could, James followed him with trepidation, fearing that his hampered vision would cause him to run into a wall of stone. However, he never felt the expected impact, and he started to relax as Sirius kept moving at a steady pace, eventually stumbling a bit as they started marching downwards. Traveling farther down into the castle, James lost sight of Sirius' black hair a few times in the darkness of the tunnel, but he always spotted it a moment later when Sirius slowed down long enough for him to catch up.

Amazed at how long the time dragged on, James kept his arms extended on either side of him, feeling along the edges of a rough, stone surface as he followed his roommate. After what seemed like half an hour, James could finally feel both walls of the tunnel without having to stretch his arms to their full extent. The passage continued to contract gradually, making both James and Sirius double over to stop their heads from knocking against the ceiling until the latter finally took in a large gulp of air.

"Hey, I can see the opening!" Sirius announced, his voice echoing softly through the tunnel, and he picked up his pace while James hurried after him. In just a few moments, Sirius stopped and pressed his hands against the ceiling of the underground corridor, where a bright light was shining down on the boys. "I think it's stuck. Help me push," Sirius requested.

Pushing as one on the cold surface of the stone, the boys heaved until the hefty boulder above them popped free to allow a chilly blast of air into their faces. Climbing free of the hole after Sirius, James stood up and blinked his eyes against the brilliant sun, which shone overhead on the Hogwarts grounds. Squinting to the left, James spotted the blurry blue mass of the lake, which shimmered in the blowing wind. Behind the lake stood the Hogwarts castle, much smaller than James would have guessed it to be after their expedition, and Hagrid's cabin was hardly more than a speck in the distance. Even the Quidditch pitch stood just far enough away so that a player might not spot anyone near the tunnel opening.

After taking in their surroundings, James faced Sirius and shrugged. "That went a lot farther than I thought it would."

Looking back at him in the new light, Sirius smirked. "You look like a raccoon."

Rubbing at the dried dirt surrounding his eyes, James felt a few specks of dust fall between his fingers. Rubbing away most of his face's grime, he pulled his glasses from his pocket and frowned at them.

"I should dunk these in the lake," he said. "Your brother did me a good one there."

"Yeah, but at least he made us miss our first Defense Against the Dark Arts class," Sirius said with a smile, letting out a sigh as the breeze ruffled his hair. Sirius had let it grow a bit longer over the summer, and James noticed that it might fit into a small ponytail like Professor Aven's. "I guess we're too late to catch anything important as it is," Sirius guessed. "What do you say we make a day of it and forget about our other classes? I don't fancy going back to the castle after all that excitement—we might as well stay by the Quidditch pitch or poke around the Forbidden Forest."

"Fine by me," James agreed. "I don't want to meet up with Filch anytime soon, either." Motioning towards the boulder, he suggested, "We should probably move this back first. I don't know if anyone else knows about the tunnel."

"If Filch doesn't, I don't know who else would," Sirius agreed, and he helped James push the boulder back into place over the tunnel entrance. Walking to the edge of the lake, James dipped his glasses in the water and rubbed the dirt off as Sirius joined him on the edge.

"You know, I heard that a giant squid lives under here," Sirius commented, leaning over the water to get a better look.

"Ever wanted to find out?" James questioned as he put on his glasses, turning to Sirius with a smirk. Moving swiftly, he made to shove his friend into the water, but Sirius sidestepped at the last moment and allowed James to tumble into the lake instead. Spluttering as he splashed downward, James rose halfway from the water and glared at Sirius through his wet hair.

"You git, how did you know I was going to push you?"

"We've been mates for four years now, James," Sirius replied, laughing. "I know better than to stand between you and a body of water."

Pointing his wand at Sirius, James shouted, "_Collabor!_"

Yelling, Sirius flailed his arms as his legs buckled, falling face-first into the water. Pushing up, he dunked James in retaliation, each one laughing and splashing in turn as they wrestled playfully under the warm sun.


	5. The Fault-Seeker

**The Fault-Seeker**

"Where were you?" Peter demanded.

He was gaping at James and Sirius in the Charms classroom. It was the day after James and Sirius had fled from Argus Filch after fighting with Regulus, and this was the first chance that Peter had been able to question them about their impromptu flight. Remus' eyes kept flitting up to James and Sirius, but he was pretending to practice the Mending Charm.

Shrugging, James answered, "Trying to avoid Filch. Out on the grounds, mostly."

As Remus threw another look their way, Sirius scowled at him. "What? We just didn't feel like going to class. It's not like we committed a crime."

Looking like he wanted to slip under an Invisibility Cloak, Remus ducked his head again. "Well, it didn't do you much good in the end," he pointed out under his breath, and James enchanted together the broken pieces of glass on their shared desk with a scowl. It was true: after skipping classes all day, he and Sirius had finally been caught by Filch once they had returned to the castle, and the ensuing confrontation with him and Professor McGonagall had kept them up after hours.

"I don't see what good you thought it would do to try and hide, that's all," Remus explained, blasting apart the newly-fixed vase again with a Reductor Curse. "Filch had already seen you hexing Regulus, and you couldn't avoid him forever."

"I'm just glad that Filch had the good sense to give Regulus detention, too," Sirius replied. "The whole incident was his fault, anyway."

"You're the one who pulled out your wand first," Remus countered, glancing at Sirius again. "And _don't_ tell me that he looked at you the wrong way."

"You missed an awfully important Defense Against the Dark Arts class," Peter interjected after Sirius made a face at Remus.

"Not to mention Professor Vector's first lesson," Remus put in.

"Aven really gives out a lot of homework," Peter sighed, poking at a glass shard with his wand.

"So does Vector," Remus added. "Though Aven's assignments seem mostly like busywork."

Groaning, James and Sirius shared a grimace. "How much is there?" James asked against his better judgment, rubbing his forehead.

"Take a look for yourself," Remus replied, nodding at the monstrous pile of notes sitting by the foot of the desk.

"_That's_ all for two classes?" Sirius exclaimed.

"No, that's only for Defense Against the Dark Arts," Peter corrected. "We have two essays assigned from Professor Aven, and at least five quizzes to study for."

"But it nearly reaches up to your knee!" Sirius objected. "What's Aven's issue?"

"Ask him yourself," Remus suggested, shrugging. "_When_ you actually decide to attend class," he added, and James and Sirius slouched as he Mended the vase.

"Attention, class!" Professor Flitwick's shrill voice called out. "I want you to keep practicing the Mending Charm for your homework, and don't forget the essay about Repairing Enchantments due next week!" Giving James and Sirius another long look as they slouched still lower, Remus gathered his supplies and headed for the door, followed closely by Peter.

"Have fun at Quidditch practice, James!" Peter called on his way out.

Suddenly remembering his afternoon engagement, James brightened and grabbed his Charms textbook. "Can you take this back up to our room?" he asked Sirius, tossing it on top of his roommate's copy of _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4_. "I've got to run!"

Mumbling a response, Sirius remained rooted to his chair as James dashed out of the classroom, shoving aside a pair of small first-years as he redirected his course towards the castle exit. Leaving behind the alabaster columns of the third floor, he slipped through a partially-hidden door that led down to ground level, soon sprinting out under the cloud-ridden sky. Reaching the Quidditch pitch after a few minutes of jogging, James greeted the rest of the team arranged around the center of the field.

"I'll be right out, King!" he cried to the team's new Captain. "I just need to grab my broom!"

Arms crossed, King nodded as James headed for the locker rooms. Humming to himself, James rapidly strapped on his protective gear and snatched his Airwake before running back onto the field. He gave a few hops as he adjusted his right shoe, finally coming to a halt in front of the rest of the Gryffindor team and slamming the end of his broomstick onto the ground.

"What's the hold-up?" James questioned, throwing his hair out of his face and grinning. "I'm ready to go!"

"We're still waiting for one more," Michael, one of the Beaters, answered him tiredly. Frowning, James glanced back towards the locker rooms, his glasses sliding into a crooked slant as he tilted his head. He had not missed any of his teammates at first glance, and he quickly counted them again: King and Frank, the two other Chasers, were standing nearby, and so were Raul and Joseph, the other Beater and Keeper. The old Captain, of course, would not be present, since she had graduated the year before.

Trying not to smack his forehead as realization hit him, James voiced, "Oh yeah, Morgan's not here. Say, King, who's the new Seeker? Did you find someone good?"

Not bothering to answer him as the rest of the team turned their heads, King directed James' gaze towards the locker rooms as a tall, fair-haired student strutted out of the doorway. Dressed immaculately in his uniform, he sported a lazy sort of smile under his squinty amber eyes and his perfectly combed hair. Immediately taken aback at the older boy's jaunty expression, James narrowed his eyes as the student approached and rested his weight on one leg, holding his broom with a casual grip.

"Are you all ready?" he inquired silkily, and Raul's eyebrows rose to his hairline.

"Have been," King replied before freeing one of his arms from their impassive clasp to gesture at James. "You haven't met our third Chaser. James Potter, this is Cassius Kennedy, our new Seeker."

Reaching out his white-gloved hand with a pearly smile, Kennedy waited for James to take it. "A pleasure, I'm sure. You play much?"

Staring down at the spotless glove, James decided that he most definitely did not like his new teammate. "More than you, I reckon," he answered, and Kennedy retracted his hand when it became clear that James would not be shaking it.

"Nice team," Kennedy commented to King in a manner far from a compliment, and James felt the hair bristle at the back of his neck. Looking like he might throw up, Frank made a face at the back of the Seeker's head while Joseph turned a bright shade of crimson. "Is this your first year Captaining?"

"Yes, but I know the players," King replied, showing much greater calm than any of the other members. "I don't think it'll be a problem for you coming in late. It won't take long to show you the ropes."

"Oh, don't worry about me," Kennedy told him, laughing without mirth. "I've been playing since I was born. How about it, then?"

Swaggering away from them, he mounted his broom and rose into the air with a swoosh, leaving the others to glare up at him before doing the same. As Michael and Raul flew upwards with a shared glower, James spun on King.

"What was that?" he demanded, gesturing up at Kennedy, and King glanced down at him.

"He was the best in the tryouts," he replied simply, and James clenched his teeth.

"Him?" he cried. "He's got the arrogance of a hippogriff!"

"I know he's not the easiest to get along with," King answered, "but there's no denying his skill. I'm trusting you all to keep your opinions of him professional," he added to Frank and Joseph, who were still on the ground listening in on the conversation.

Snorting, James glanced up at the sky. "That'll be easier if we can unscrew his broomstick out from his own—"

"That's enough," King reprimanded, mounting his ride and pushing off from the grass. "Unlatch the Bludgers and get into position."

Shaking his head, Frank shared a look with James before opening the locked chest in the middle of the field. Grumbling to himself, James followed Joseph into the air and settled into place beside King, resisting the urge to hit Kennedy with his broomstick handle on the way up. Glancing at the Seeker's gloves, James cocked an eyebrow and cleared his throat.

"Do you normally play with those?" he spoke up, trying to keep his voice civil as Kennedy turned his pinched eyes towards him. "How are you supposed to catch the Snitch with those on?"

"They're Murtlap skin," Kennedy replied, his smile plastered on as if he was explaining something to a small child. Turning over his hand so that James could see the thin underside, he rubbed his pointer finger and thumb together. "Thinner than dragon skin, and produces a much better grip. It's the newest invention in professional games. Don't you keep up with _Seeker Weekly_?"

Glaring at him, James scoffed, "Who doesn't?"

Making a show of being surprised, Kennedy eyed him up and down. "Then I'm surprised you don't remember it."

"I must have missed the latest issue," James told him, turning up his chin and looking away. "I often spend my time reading publications like _The Broomstick Periodical_, _Quidditch Illustrated_, and _WQG_—you know, the less _common_ magazines."

Spotting Kennedy's frown out of the corner of his eye, James suppressed a smirk as he waited for Frank to release the the Golden Snitch. After freeing the majority of the balls, Frank tossed the Quaffle above his head, and James swooped forward to snatch it out of the air. Spinning around in an unnecessarily embellished loop, he threw it to King, who sped off towards the three hoops guarded by Joseph. Sending the ball to Frank, who had now joined him in front of the goalposts, King pulled back as Frank tossed the ball forward, but Joseph completed a rapid change of direction to knock the ball from the sky. Shooting a fist into the air at Joseph's fast reflexes, Frank opened his mouth to shout a congratulations, but Kennedy called down to him before he could speak.

"Longbottom? If I may," he spoke, leaning down from his broomstick, "I think I can see what happened. You overcompensated for your throw, so Mallord naturally had time to reach it. If you had aimed a bit farther to the right, the Quaffle might have gone through even at its slow speed."

Clenching his jaw, James threw a withering glance up at Kennedy, where he was staring at the Chasers in casual interest. "Aren't you supposed to be looking for the Snitch?" James snapped.

"It won't show for another few minutes at least," Kennedy replied, shrugging. "I thought that I might help out in the meantime."

"Well, you can stop helping," James retorted before King could stop him.

"James," King interjected, and James crossed his arms and looked away. Facing Frank, King said, "He has a point, Frank—Joseph acted quickly, but he might not have stopped the Quaffle if you had put more force into the throw. And Kennedy, you can leave the pointers to me in the future."

Shrugging, Kennedy kept watching the Chasers from a distance as King retrieved the Quaffle and threw it back into play. Catching it, Frank gave Kennedy a quick glare before shooting across the field with needless speed. Copying him, James kept on his tail while Michael and Raul kept the Bludgers at bay with their bats. When James and the other Chasers approached the goalposts again, James shot the ball out of his arms with an aggressive display of power, and it sailed past Joseph's outstretched hands to pass through the left hoop.

"Mallord?" Kennedy's voice rang out again, and James could barely conceal his rage as he clenched his fists and spun his broomstick around. "I believe the trick is to keep your eyes on the Chaser's arm, not the Quaffle itself," Kennedy critiqued while Joseph glowered at him.

"Kennedy?" King interjected.

"Yes?" Kennedy inquired, turning towards the Captain, and King was not the only one to frown. Normally, none of the players needed to ask for clarification from their generally brusque teammate, as just the warning in his voice gave them all they needed to know.

"I believe that I told you to leave the pointers to me," King told Kennedy, and the new player sat back.

"Oh, for him, too?" he questioned as if having just considered the option. "All right, if that's what you meant."

Shooting a look at King that went unnoticed, James huffed and shot down to retrieve the Quaffle. During the next few plays, Kennedy kept his thoughts to himself, but his occasional grunts gave James blisters from clenching his broom handle so often. Other than the sparing glances and occasional lap that Kennedy would send across the field, he made no great attempt to search for the Golden Snitch, and even King had to resort to ignoring his presence to keep from growing irritated. A bit later in the afternoon, James sent yet another glare up at the Seeker and spotted a glint of gold a bit floating behind his head.

"Hey, newbie!" James shouted out, pointing. "It's the Snitch!"

Spinning around with astonishing speed, Kennedy closed his fist around the golden ball after only a short moment of chase and lowered himself from the sky. Everyone except King seemed taken aback at his rapid movement, and Michael let his mouth fall open when he spotted the captured ball, having missed Kennedy's swift motion.

"Should I let it loose again?" the Seeker questioned King, and the Captain did a sweeping glance of the rest of the team. Sensing the others' agitation, he shook his head and pointed his thumb at the ground below.

"That's enough for today," he answered. "We'll pick it up next time."

Sharing glances, the others slowly descended to the grass aside from Michael and Raul, who raced after the Bludgers to capture them. Curling his nose when Kennedy landed a short distance from him, James started to walk off towards the locker rooms.

"Are practices normally this short?" Kennedy asked no one in particular. "I could have gone on until the evening."

"Our old Seeker used to make up her own training regimens," James snapped against his better judgment, giving him a sideways glance. "If King's exercises don't satisfy you, maybe you should practice more on your own."

"Oh, I already have a set of drills that I go through every day," Kennedy replied, upsettingly deciding to keep pace with James. "Need to keep in shape, you know." After a short pause, he looked at James with an almost reluctant nod. "I must say, Potter, you have impressive speed. What model of broom do you own?"

"Airwake," James responded briskly, though his tone softened as he displayed the engraving on the side of his broom.

Although his eyes widened, Kennedy kept his voice detached as he eyed the slender broomstick. "Really? I guess that explains it, then." Pausing while James shot him a glare, he thought for a moment before speaking again. "You know," he began slowly, "it surprises me that you would have an Airwake. Chasers aren't necessarily supposed to have that amount of power. Can you manage to stay on top of it all right?"

"I think I can handle it just fine," James replied, a small hiss escaping his teeth.

"Really, it would much better match a Seeker," Kennedy continued as if he had not heard James. "It's all in the speed, you know. It can really overwhelm a Chaser at times."

"I'm not giving you my broom," James told him bluntly, coming to a stop, and Kennedy gaped at him as Frank caught up with James and waved him down.

"James, do you want to stay a bit longer and fly around? I don't have anything to do tonight. My assignments can wait until later. What do you say?"

"Sorry, I wish I could," James told him in a much friendlier voice than he had been using with Kennedy. "I have a detention tonight, and I don't want to hear it from Filch if I miss it."

Laughing as Kennedy gave James a deep-set frown, Frank hit him on the shoulder. "Still at it, eh? Well, that's all right. Just don't let me catch you doing anything you aren't supposed to. Prefect now, remember?" Tapping his chest, Frank began walking in the other direction and waved him goodbye. "I'll just practice on my own for a while before going back to the castle. I really should be getting to my homework, anyway. This year is really biting me where it hurts."

"See you later!" James told him before heading into the locker rooms, running ahead of Kennedy before he could engage James in conversation.


	6. A Succession of Ministers

**A Succession of Ministers**

Sitting in the Transfiguration classroom, James waved his wand over the hedgehog on the desk and watched it shrink down into the size and shape of a pincushion. Prodding the still-gray ball with his wand, he frowned as it wiggled in protest and released the spell with a sigh. Trying again, he narrowed his eyes in total concentration, and the hedgehog gave out a small squeak as it morphed into a pincushion again, this time a bright orange.

Leaning over to admire his handiwork, Remus asked, "How did you get it so quickly?"

Shrugging, James leaned back in his chair as he watched the others work. "I don't know. Maybe you just need to try harder."

"I probably just need more practice," Remus agreed with a frown at his furry pincushion. Glancing over at Remus' Transfigured hedgehog, Peter waved his wand over his own animal with a quick motion. Instead of transforming, the hedgehog merely yelped as it was struck by a zap of blue light, and Peter groaned.

"How are you even supposed to make it turn a different color?" he pleaded with his roommates as his hedgehog attempted to run off of the desk. "I don't think I'll ever get the hang of this!"

"Cross-Species Switches start next week," Sirius cut in, his feet planted on the desk in front of him. "Wait until you have to turn the hedgehog into another animal."

As Peter moaned and buried his head in his arms, Remus shot a short glance at Sirius' Transfigured pincushion, which was still crawling about the desk with its tiny legs. Whistling, Sirius waited until Professor McGonagall stepped over him before taking his legs off of the desk at her sharp glare.

"Have you tried a Cross-Species Switch yet?" McGonagall inquired of James, laying eyes on his perfectly-manufactured pincushion.

"Not yet," James replied, and McGonagall pulled a pin out of his cushion to examine it.

"You might want to consider getting in some practice," she suggested, pushing the pin back into place. "It might work out some of that boundless energy of yours."

Moving away, she left the others to stare at their own pincushions in silence; shaking his head, Remus released his spell as Peter sighed deeply, staring at his agitated hedgehog. Grimacing at Professor McGonagall's back, Sirius tapped his pincushion with his wand again, and it stopped moving as its legs disappeared from underneath it. Smiling to himself, James studied his pincushion for a moment and pulled out a pin in interest; maybe Cross-Species Switches would be helpful for becoming Animagi.

Suddenly struck with a thought, he started pulling out all of the pins from his Transfigured hedgehog. After staring at him for a moment, Sirius seemed to realize what he was doing and began to help until the pincushion was completely stripped. Waving his wand, James released the now quill-less hedgehog to walk about freely on the desk just as Professor McGonagall announced the end of class. Pushing up from his seat with the rest of the students, he left behind the strangely bald-looking animal and heard someone scream behind him on the way out. Before he could crack a joke to his friends, he was stopped by Dedalus Diggle as he ran up from behind and beamed at James.

"Hi, James!"

"Er . . . hi," James answered, squinting down at the first-year. "Do you want something?"

"I don't think that we've met," Diggle replied in his squeaky voice, struggling to keep up with the older students. "I'm Dedalus Diggle, Gryffindor House!" When James only stared at him, he grinned again. "I heard that you're on the Quidditch team! Some even say that you're the best player we have, maybe in the whole school!"

"Do they?" James asked, considerably more interested, and he puffed out his chest. "Well, Diggle, they're right; you're looking at the finest Chaser that Gryffindor has seen in years!"

Gasping, Diggle stared up at James with wide eyes as Sirius snorted, giving Remus a small shove. "Wow, that's amazing!" Diggle exclaimed. "Can you show me some tricks?"

"I would if I had my broom," James told him, "but you'd have to pay. Do you have any money?"

Blinking, Diggle reached into his pocket experimentally before pulling out a single silver coin. "All I have is a Sickle. Is that enough?"

"That'll earn you a trick or two," James replied, snatching up the Sickle. "Catch up with me later, okay?"

Suppressing a sigh, Remus said to Diggle, "You know that games are free, right? You can watch him anytime."

"Ah, but he won't get to see all of my stunts!" James interjected, raising a finger. "I can offer behind-the-scenes glimpses of my best work for those who can afford it!"

"It's okay!" Diggle told Remus as he rolled his eyes. "Cassius said that he'd show me some tricks, too!"

"He did?" James questioned, his good mood instantly evaporating.

"Yeah," Diggle answered, examining his empty pockets. "He only charged a few Knuts, though."

"That's because he's not that great at Quidditch," James harrumphed. "He would naturally be worth less."

"Really?" Diggle inquired, tilting his head. "He seemed pretty good to me. He told me lots about Quidditch that I didn't know. He even said that he would bring out his best tricks in the first match!"

Narrowing his eyes, James stared at Diggle more closely. "Wait, weren't you the one to go fetch a professor when Sirius and I were dueling Regulus?"

"Er . . . yeah, that was me," Diggle answered, red-faced as James slowly reversed his frown.

"Say, Diggle, would you like to see a trick right now?" he offered, pulling out his wand slyly as the first-year brightened.

"Sure!"

"It goes like this," James said, and he flicked his wand at Diggle before Remus could stop him. "_Bogeus Voloteus!_"

Doubling over as a stream of screaming bats erupted from his nostrils, Diggle gasped and slapped his hands to his nose. Leaving him behind in the middle of the hallway, James waved as Sirius held his stomach from laughter.

"That's for trying to rat us out!" James called to Diggle as he started to walk off. "Think better of it next time!"

"Bye, James!" Diggle yelled back through the din of the shrieking bats, waving as he turned and waddled bravely down the hallway.

"James, he's just a first-year!" Remus exclaimed, running up to James' side as the others snickered. "Why would you do that to him?"

"Hey, he's not completely harmless, if you remember how he tried to get us in trouble," James responded, grinning at Remus. "He'll be fine: he seems like a tough little kid."

Although he glanced over his shoulder, Remus did not dissent again as Sirius and Peter continued to chuckle. Twirling his wand before stashing it in his pocket, James strolled out onto the castle grounds, joining the rest of the Gryffindor and Slytherin fourth-years for their Care of Magical Creatures lesson. Next to Professor Kettleburn's right wooden leg stood a cage on a stand, which contained a dozen lizard-like creatures of about the size of Mrs. Norris. On each of the animals' heads was a prominent pustule that was surrounded on both sides by a small horn. Standing on its hind legs like a monkey, one of the creatures opened its mouth at the students to reveal a long, pink tongue and two rows of razor-sharp teeth. Taken aback by the threatening gesture, Peter stumbled towards the far side of the waiting crowd while his roommates joined him.

"Welcome to Care of Magical Creatures!" Professor Kettleburn chirruped as the students all eyed the cage from a safe distance. "Today, we will be learning about Clabberts, which I was able to procure with the help of Rubeus here," he announced, gesturing to the bearded Gameskeeper with his only arm. Waving unnecessarily, Hagrid beamed down at the class, his ruddy cheeks uplifted in anticipation of the lesson.

Turning towards the cage sitting next to him, Kettleburn struggled with the latch for a moment before opening the door and allowing one of the creatures inside to climb onto his shoulder. "Tamed Clabberts are very friendly, so there's nothing to fear by holding one," Kettleburn explained, but none of the students relaxed when the green-scaled animal startled picking through the professor's golden hair. "Don't let this fool you," the professor laughed, nodding at the Clabbert. "Their general diet consists of small lizards and birds, although insects will do in a pinch."

Staring at the Clabbert's sharp teeth, James thought that the animal would have no problem feasting on his arm if it came down to it. A moment later, he made a face when the creature found something of interest in Professor Kettleburn's hair and popped it into his mouth. Swallowing, the Clabbert crawled down to Kettleburn's forearm at the professor's bidding, hanging upside-down by its prehensile tail and baring its teeth in what could easily be either a hiss or a smile.

"Can I have a volunteer to hold Jasper here?" Kettleburn asked, swinging his arm from the right to the left with the Clabbert attached firmly to his wrist. "Anyone at all? Potter, how about you? You have a strong arm from throwing all of those Quaffles! How about it?"

Taken aback, James glanced at the other students, meeting blank stares and a barely-suppressed smirk from Snape in the back. As he turned back to Professor Kettleburn, his eyes briefly crossed Lily's where she was standing with her friends, and his stomach gave a small flip-flop.

"Sure, why not?" he answered Kettleburn, stepping forward with his arm outstretched. Beaming at his enthusiasm, Kettleburn coaxed the Clabbert onto James with a few clicking noises, and it scampered all the way onto James' shoulder. Steadying himself against the animal's surprisingly heavy weight, James lowered his arm sheepishly as the creature began picking at his hair.

"Er, does it do this with everyone?" he asked Kettleburn as a few of the other students started laughing.

"Pretty much," he answered with a smile and shrug of his shoulder.

"You might tell Jasper to be careful!" Sirius joked as the lizard-like creature rifled through James' wild hair. "He might find anything in there!"

Although the class chuckled again, the Clabbert rotated its head as the pustule between its horns suddenly flashed a bright red. It leaped off of James' shoulder with its limbs splayed out, and James let out a cry as it yanked a few of his hair follicles before landing on Professor Kettleburn's chest. Quivering, the Clabbert clung to his robes with its long fingers, and it stared back at the students with bared teeth while James gaped at the animal.

"Well, that's odd," Kettleburn spoke, prying the Clabbert off of his chest with his one hand. "Their foreheads only flash red like that when they sense danger. Wizards sometimes use them to watch out for Muggle intruders."

"I knew it!" James cried, commanding attention back to himself as he thrust his finger into the air. "Peter's a Muggle!"

The tension immediately released, and everyone laughed as James' roommates each sent him a faint smile, all of them knowing the real reason for the Clabbert's sudden flight. While Remus edged away from both James and Professor Kettleburn, the latter beckoned to the rest of the class.

"All right, I need each of you to take a Clabbert from the cage and soothe it before we can proceed. Don't worry, they don't bite!"

Slowly moving forward, the students formed a queue in front of the cage. Exchanging another look, James, Sirius, and Peter all faced Remus, who did not seem keen on approaching the cage lest all the rest of the animals' pustules started flashing red. Waving his hand at Professor Kettleburn while the other students were occupied, Remus called his name.

"Professor Kettleburn? I'm feeling ill. May I go see Madam Pomfrey?"

Starting, Kettleburn blinked at him while Hagrid helped with the Clabbert-distribution. "Of course—take care of yourself."

Nodding at him, Remus gave his roommates one last look before trotting off towards the castle. Turning back around, James joined the queue and approached Hagrid, who gave him a Clabbert and a wide smile through his scraggly beard.

"How are yeh doin', James?" Hagrid asked as he reached for another Clabbert. "Are yeh ready fer yer first Quidditch game?"

Remembering his interaction with Diggle earlier that day, James glowered at the ground. "I'd rather not talk about it," he answered, and Hagrid furrowed his brow as Sirius moved forward to collect a Clabbert.

"Oh," the Gamekeeper stated simply, obviously curious but afraid to press the matter. "'Ow about yeh, Sirius?" he questioned, handing him a smaller, more energetic animal.

"I'm all right," Sirius told him, attempting to keep the Clabbert from climbing into his shirt.

"Did yeh hear about the Rightons?" Hagrid asked, making James and the others stare at him.

"What about them?" James inquired.

"They were finally carted off ter Azkaban after being questioned at the Ministry," Hagrid responded, giving Peter a Clabbert without looking his way. "It took far longer than it should 'ave, after attackin' yer class last year an' all."

"Why weren't they put into Azkaban sooner?" James prodded. "There were at least a dozen Aurors at the castle afterwards! I thought that it was all settled!"

"Well, yeh see, Milo made up a story about his innocence, and the Ministry 'ad to go through a 'ole investigation," Hagrid explained, itching the back of his hairy neck. "A few of their departments stopped by Hogwarts over the summer to look over the place, actually."

"But they were guilty!" Peter exclaimed, his Clabbert swaying precariously on his arm. "Couldn't Professor Val tell them so?"

"She an' Flannegin were out of the country at the time, from what I could gather from the Aurors," Hagrid told him. Lowering his voice, he glanced around and whispered, "I heard tha' He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was spotted somewhere in northern Europe, an' Valerie was one o' the first to leave."

"Did she get back in time to lock the Rightons away?" Sirius asked, and Hagrid shook his head.

"It was actually Bartemius Crouch tha' sped up the process," he answered. "He's the 'ead of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, an' he's often fightin' with the Minister ter make the Wizengamot more effective about criminal justice. He really 'ates the Death Eaters, an' he's tryin' ter change the laws so tha' it'll be easier to lock 'em away."

"Well, that's fine by me!" Sirius attested, grabbing his Clabbert by the tail before it could squeeze past his collar. "We could use more force when it comes to capturing Death Eaters!"

"That's wha' I say," Hagrid agreed, standing at his full height with a beam, "but Jenkins likes to play things by the rules. Actually, if it wasn't fer our last Minister's sad retirement, we might 'ave an easier time roundin' up the Dark wizards."

"Who was the last Minister?" Peter asked.

"He was a Muggle-born by the name of Nobby Leach," Hagrid replied. "Yeh're probably too young ter remember, but his election was a big deal. He was the firs' Muggle-born to 'old the office, an' nearly half of the Wizengamot walked out in protest. It was a bright day fer the wizarding world, but Leach was soon ousted after bein' taken ill by a mysterious disease." Scowling, Hagrid growled, "Not all people believe this, but some say tha' it was a group of spiteful purebloods tha' gave the illness ter 'im. The Healers at St. Mungo's never did identify the ailment, an' 'e died shortly after."

"But who would have cursed him?" Peter gasped.

"Abraxas Malfoy," Hagrid accused, and the boys all started.

"Malfoy?" James repeated. "Then he was—"

"Our very own Lucius Malfoy's father," Hagrid finished for him, nodding darkly. "I've met Abraxas in the past, an' I never did take a likin' ter 'im. He inherited all of what makes the Malfoy family a cruel, slimy breed. I don't doubt for one moment tha' 'e was the one to poison Leach."

"What if he knew that Lord Voldemort was rising to power?" James asked, and Hagrid nearly cried out at the name. "What if he was purposely trying to get Leach out of the way so Jenkins could take his place right before the Death Eaters rose up?"

"Now, now," Hagrid backtracked, eyes wide, "I wouldn't know if I would take it tha' far. Jenkins did a fine job with the pureblood riots a few years ago, after all, an' she never would 'ave become Minister if she wasn't cut out fer the position. Still," he said, stroking his hair chin, "quite a bit of purebloods voted fer Jenkins. I always thought tha' they were too fed up with Leach to put up much of a fuss with a new Minister, but yeh never know . . ."

"Wait, one more thing," Sirius piped up. "You don't think that Jenkins has been controlling _The Daily Prophet_, do you?"

"Controllin' _The Daily Prophet_?" Hagrid repeated, frowning. "She migh' like ter do tha' if it would benefit her, I won't deny it. But wha' makes yeh think so?"

Pausing, Sirius turned to James. "Er . . ."

Thankfully, he was saved from an explanation by Professor Kettleburn's raised voice. "Are you ready to try feeding your Clabberts?" he yelled out to the class, and James, Sirius, and Peter quickly left Hagrid and gathered around a bucket of lizard carcasses.


	7. Pressing Questions

**Pressing Questions**

Sitting in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, James sighed as he listened to Professor Aven lecture on the uses of Healing Spells. Remus and Peter were right about Aven's class: the professor gave out mounds of homework, and James was still struggling to catch up after his detention of alphabetizing the books in the lower levels of the library. Even now, he had little idea of what Aven was talking about, although Remus had done his best to explain Healing Spells to him and Sirius before class.

Pausing his lecture, Professor Aven turned and scribbled a short list of incantations onto the blackboard with a piece of chalk. James briefly wondered why their professor didn't just use his wand, but he then decided Aven was just as bored as he was and needed a way to drag out the lesson. Sighing again, James drummed his fingers on the desk.

Turning back around, Professor Aven said, "There are many different types of Healing Spells, which range in capability from cut-mending to poison-draining. As this is your fourth year, you only need learn two of the most basic spells practically, although I expect you to have read up on bone-repair." Still mildly confused by the lecture, James tapped his fingers on his desk as Aven frowned up at the ceiling. "You're studying the Sanguine Solvent in Potions now, correct?"

Exchanging glances, the students stayed quiet until Alice spoke up. "No, sir," she answered. "I've never even heard of it."

"Really?" Aven asked, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Slughorn hasn't discussed it?" Performing a half-shrug, he flushed a bit and said, "Maybe Hogwarts took it off the syllabus. It's illegal, after all, unless the potioneer obtains special permission from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Magizoologists and herbologists are concerned with the potion's use of Mandrakes, fluxweed, Alihotsy . . . all protected species." Waving his hand, he shook his head and continued, "In essence, the Sanguine Solvent is supposed to reduce physical and emotional pain by improving the drinker's mood. I was going to liken it to Healing Spells, but it's a rather flawed comparison—the Sanguine Solvent is awfully outdated, and most Healers believe that it only helps to numb the drinker instead of combating the ailment."

Keeping their eyes on the professor as he paced to the other side of the room, the students watched silently until Aven turned and addressed them. "With that much said, who would like to attempt a casting of the book's first Healing Spell?"

Starting with the rest of the class, Peter forgot to raise his hand as he protested. "But aren't you going to teach it to us first?"

"Theory should be enough, shouldn't it?" Aven answered, shooting him an odd sort of look.

"But Professor," Peter insisted, "how are we supposed to perform a Healing Spell if nobody's injured?"

"I noticed that Lupin had a small gash on his cheek when he came in," Aven replied. "He must have scratched it up in Herbology a few days ago. What do you say, Lupin? Is it all right if Pettigrew has a go?"

Turning to stare at Remus and Peter, James and Sirius held their breaths as Remus stared at the floor. After several long moments, he slid out of his chair and walked slowly to the front of the room, apparently unsure of how to refuse. Peter scurried after him, almost tripping over his own feet in his hurry, and the rest of the class looked on as Peter raised his wand towards Remus with a trembling hand.

"_Episkey!_" he said, and a few of the students stifled their giggles as Remus remained unaffected by Peter's spell. Lowering his wand, Peter glanced at Professor Aven, but the wizard merely shook his head.

"Go on, try again!" he urged. "No one is perfect the first time around!" Clearing his throat, Peter faced Remus again as the taller boy waited, clenching his fists.

"_Episkey!_" Peter tried again, his wand jumping slightly, but nothing happened. Folding his arms over himself, Remus looked over at Professor Aven while Peter lowered his wand again.

"I don't think I can do it," Peter mumbled to Aven, and Aven's gaze softened.

"That's all right, Pettigrew. You don't have to try if you don't want to."

Deflating more out of relief than embarrassment, Peter hurried back to his seat, the other students watching him with a pitying sort of quiet. Opening his mouth, Professor Aven seemed about to ask for another volunteer, but he soon checked himself as Remus thudded down into his chair. Executing a small sigh, Aven looked askance.

"All right, that'll be it for today. Keep reading about Healing Spells, and practice the wand movements on your own. Your two essays are due next class, and don't forget to start researching the applications of hex-deflection."

Standing up, the class gathered their belongings and left the room, James and his roommates exiting as soon as they could. Rapidly putting distance between them and the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, they did not slow as they headed towards the Great Hall for lunch.

"That couldn't have ended any sooner," Remus spoke first, releasing a breath that he had been holding in the classroom. "Thanks for covering for me, Peter."

"Er—sure thing," Peter responded, quickly looking away, and James and Sirius shared a dubious glance.

Entering the Great Hall, James stared up at the leering pumpkin heads floating above the tables, still present from the recent Halloween feast. Remus had missed the meal due to the turning of the full moon on Halloween night, but the holiday had at least given him a plausible excuse for his disappearance, which he claimed was caused by a short visit to the Lupin residence.

"What's that you've got there?" Sirius asked Remus as the four roommates sat down at the Gryffindor table, glancing Remus' way as he pulled out a wad of folded paper from inside his robes.

"It's _The Daily Prophet_. An owl delivered it with breakfast this morning, but I haven't had the chance to read it yet," Remus replied, opening up the newspaper.

"Has Puddlemere United won again?" James asked, leaning in, but he soon quieted as Remus' face fell. As the others watched him wordlessly, Remus pushed the newspaper away as if rejecting a foul supper.

"What is it?" Peter inquired first.

"There's been another werewolf attack," Remus answered in a small voice, and the others looked over his shoulder to read the article. Just under a lengthy excerpt about another of the Lucky Leprechauns' humbling defeats, James spotted the short paragraph that had disheartened Remus.

* * *

**Five Left Injured in Werewolf Assault on Halloween Night**

_Another attack has caused unease in Mugeary, where resident wizards and witches reported a devastating werewolf mauling. Although the two werewolves appeared in a Muggle-infested part of town, only magical folk were harmed. Hit wizards tracked one of the creatures to a more deserted region, where it disappeared. Authorities are still on the lookout for any signs of the insurgent werewolves. Some cry Death Eater play._

* * *

Surprised by the brevity of the article, James sat back and looked at Remus, who was still staring at the table. "Why the long face? You didn't hurt anyone!"

"Yeah," Sirius agreed. "There's no need to get upset over it!"

Shaking his head, Remus slouched even lower. "You don't understand. There's been stories like this all summer, and they're beginning to scare people. My family has had to move several times while I was home just to keep people from growing suspicious. If anyone found out about me now, word would spread like wildfire, and I'd never be able to come back to Hogwarts."

"But it's not the werewolves' fault!" James protested. "It's not like they're purposely trying to bite people!"

"No, but that doesn't mean that the rest of the world will believe it," Remus replied, tracing the dark lines on the wooden table. "And anyway, whoever attacked Mugeary should have kept themselves more safely guarded during the full moon. I don't blame them for hiding—Merlin knows what the Ministry would do to them if they turned themselves in—but these things shouldn't happen in the first place."

Sinking onto the table, Remus crossed his arms under his chin as James patted his back. "If it's any consolation, we don't believe any of that Death Eater rubbish! The only organization that you would join is the Gobstones Club."

Smiling slightly, Remus looked up at Peter as he spoke. "But why wouldn't _The Daily Prophet_ confirm that the werewolves had joined He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named if they hate them so much?"

Exchanging a look, James and Sirius frowned for a moment in silence. Finally, James nodded. "You're right. That _is_ strange."

"No, it isn't," Remus argued, sitting up again. "They don't have any proof."

"I don't think they'd care about proof," James countered. "Earlier this year, _The Daily Prophet _almost said outright that the werewolves were working for Lord Voldemort—oh, don't be pathetic, Peter. But now, the Death Eaters were only mentioned at the very end of the article, almost like an afterthought. I thought for sure that _The Daily Prophet_ was going to continue to pin the two together."

"So why the change?" Sirius asked aloud, and the others thought silently before James pushed up from the table.

"Lucky for us, there's someone in this school who might know," he announced, looking towards the High Table. "Dumbledore will be able to tell us!"

"Great idea! Let's go ask him!" Sirius immediately supported, jumping up from his seat and grabbing _The Daily Prophet_. Watching his friends as they made to race off, Remus blinked before staring back down at the table.

"You have fun with that, then," he sighed, resting his head in his arms again.

Leaving him, James, Sirius, and Peter ran to catch up with the Headmaster as he left the High Table and walked towards the Great Hall's double doors, having finished mingling with the rest of the staff. Just as the wizened wizard exited into the hallway, James and his roommates finally waved him down, panting slightly.

"Headmaster!" Sirius cried, forcing Dumbledore to pause and perform a half-turn. Stopping, James waited while Sirius took a large breath and shook the newspaper in his hand. "We have a question for you!"

"Then by all means, satisfy your curiosity," Dumbledore invited in a deep voice, his half-moon spectacles glinting as he glanced down at the boys. "However, if you are wondering how Puddlemere United fared in last night's game, I am as much in the dark as you."

Unable to stop a grin from breaking across his face, James waited as Sirius shook his head and unfolded the newspaper. "No, sir," he answered. "We saw an article about a werewolf attack in Mugeary, and some people seem to think that the werewolves are working for Lord Voldemort."

Again, Peter flinched as Sirius ended, but Dumbledore simply nodded as James interrupted. "But earlier this year, _The Daily Prophet_ had seemed pretty certain that the werewolves had joined the Death Eaters, so now it seems like they're backtracking."

"Cynical of the press' objectivity?" Dumbledore inquired, and James thought that he might have been smiling behind his snow-white beard. "Can't they strike a balance when there are no facts to support a decision either way?"

"We didn't figure that you would be too trusting of them, either," Sirius spoke, and the Headmaster's blue eyes sparkled briefly as he rested his hands behind his back. Giving the newspaper a shake, Sirius asked, "So why isn't _The Daily Prophet_ saying anything for certain? It seems pretty simple to me: the werewolves are either working with the Death Eaters, or they aren't."

Taking in the boys' inquisitive faces, Dumbledore did not respond right away, but instead rocked back and forth on his heels. Finally, he took in a breath and nodded slowly. "You're absolutely correct in your line of thinking. You have, in fact, pointed out the most important issue of this whole matter. The answer, one could say, lies within the question." When none of the trio replied, Dumbledore quizzed, "Who would be the first to know if someone was indeed affiliated with the Death Eaters: the Ministry, or everyone else?"

"Well . . . I suppose that the Ministry would, at least after one or two people had told them so," James guessed.

"And with that simple statement, you are telling me that the Ministry has the power to control the public's perception," Dumbledore told him succinctly. "Whatever _The Daily Prophet_ reports, the people believe. And with the newspaper's confusion on this matter, I can infer with some certainty that the Ministry is trying to kill two owls with one spell, so to speak. Firstly, when the truth finally comes out, the press will sustain credibility no matter what the outcome. This, although the product of fair journalism in the first place, will certainly aid _The Daily Prophet_'s circulation."

"Secondly," he continued, "any of the reporters coming from the Ministry will have deep connections with Eugenia Jenkins, who, although a fair person in multiple regards, could be described as controlling. In her mind, the wizarding world should be as unruffled as possible in this time of war. Therefore, while the issue of the werewolves is still shrouded in mystery, Jenkins will want to placate the readers of _The Daily Prophet_ while still demonizing Voldemort and his Death Eaters—thus the conflicting articles you have called to attention."

"But that's rubbish!" James exclaimed. "If _The Daily Prophet_ is going to jump back and forth like that, they're just going to end up confusing everyone!"

"But as I pointed out, the press is not technically doing anything wrong," Dumbledore replied. "The media hangs in a very delicate balance, with each rule having several loopholes in which to work around it. Whether you believe it to be ethical or not, you have to appreciate the subtlety involved."

"Headmaster, do you know if the werewolves have really joined the Death Eaters?" Sirius questioned, and James threw him a warning glance that he ignored.

Shaking his head, Dumbledore smiled slightly. "I'm afraid that Eugenia has chosen to leave me to my own devices after frustrating her one too many times. Since I have not so much as been invited to examine the aftermath of a werewolf strike, I am simply working from what I gather from _The Daily Prophet_. I certainly have my conjectures, but they are only educated guesses at best."

Nodding slowly, the boys began to back away until Dumbledore stopped them, raising a hand to stroke his bearded chin.

"Was there a particular reason why you wanted to ask about the werewolves?"

"No reason, sir!" James answered quickly, and Sirius and Peter immediately shook their heads. Peering at them intently for a moment, the Headmaster then smiled and raised his hand in farewell.

"You'll be getting on to your classes, then," he told them before continuing down the hallway. Relaxing, James and the others breathed matching sighs before hurrying back to the Great Hall to reunite with Remus.


	8. Flight and Fight

**Flight and Fight**

Every afternoon of the following week, James attended Quidditch practice in preparation for Gryffindor's first game. Although none of the original team members had fully adjusted to their new Seeker's nagging presence, King was able to keep them from arguing outright during the practices. Still, Kennedy continued to pay more attention to the faults of the other players than the Golden Snitch, which worried James as the day of their first match drew closer. When Raul brought up this problem after their third training session, Kennedy merely answered with his usual confidence in his abilities, reminding the others about his impressive display of speed on their first day of practice and questioning Raul's experience as a Beater at the same time. In response, Raul nearly went at him with his bat, but King was able to stop him just in time.

A few days before the weekend, Sirius, Remus, and Peter came to watch James practice his flight patterns on the pitch, which James had requested of them. No one else was on the field, and James spent an hour in the sky while his roommates gave him feedback from below, although only Sirius provided any real insight on James' technique.

"You keep flying against the wind," Sirius told him when he landed for the fifth and final time. "You would go much faster if you let it push you along."

"Aw, but it makes my hair look so much better!" James complained jokingly, running his hand through his already mussed-up hair. "It would get in my eyes otherwise!"

"Wear a hat," Sirius suggested, shrugging. Shaking his head, James pretended to ignore his advice, but he reminded himself to pay attention to the wind during the game.

"You looked great to me!" Peter told James as the four roommates started for the pitch's exit. "The Quaffle won't be going anywhere if you fly like that in the game!"

"We'd better hurry," Remus spoke up, peering ahead. "The Slytherins have a practice scheduled in the next few minutes."

Right on cue, a few Slytherins students stepped onto the field with their broomsticks hoisted over their shoulders, and Sirius turned to James with a smirk as they walked past.

"Why don't we stick around to see how they're shaping up?" he suggested, and James chuckled as Marcus Mimbleton threw Sirius a glare.

"Clear off—you'll have plenty of time to see us fly on Saturday," one of the Slytherin Chasers, Evan Rosier, threatened as he overheard. To James, he added, "And you'd better hope that your fool of a Seeker is ready to face our man in a few days. He's got a nasty surprise waiting for him if he isn't."

Glaring at the Slytherins as they stalked off, James watched their progress as Peter spoke. "Who do you think they found this year?"

"Eh, it hardly matters," James replied, shouldering his own broom. "Whoever he is, he won't be able to beat our Chasers."

Nevertheless, as he and his roommates put the Slytherins behind them, James could not help but feel a pang of worry at Rosier's remark, since his own fears about Kennedy were not fully resolved. Still, as much as he hated to think the best of Gryffindor's new Seeker, he reminded himself of Kennedy's undeniable skill. Feeling a bead of sweat creep down his forehead after his hour-long flight, James tried to resolve the creeping feeling in his gut.

On Saturday morning, James ate breakfast with his roommates in the Great Hall, afterwards leaving them behind to arrive at the pitch half an hour early for the game. Joining the rest of the Quidditch team in the locker rooms, he dressed in his uniform as King stood off to the side, staring at the wall. Chatting with the other players as he prepared, James wondered if King was feeling nervous at all for his first match as Captain, but he soon dismissed the idea as King turned and addressed the others.

"I don't expect any trouble from the Chasers or Keeper," he said, commanding everyone's attention. "We know their moves, and we've been able to beat them before." Looking at Kennedy, he told him, "Cassius, your one job is to look for the Snitch. Is that understood?"

"Of course," Kennedy replied with a smile, and James only resisted the urge to smack off his smirk with his broomstick when he remembered that Gryffindor needed a Seeker to win the fast-approaching match.

"And although I'm sure I don't need to tell you, I'm going to say it anyway," King added, pausing just in front of the door. "Remember the first rule of playing against Slytherin: don't let Vanity get to you."

Leading the team out onto the pitch, King marched towards the Slytherin players as they entered the field, Captain Emma Vanity striding in the front. Turning to the stands, James waved at the Gryffindor students and spotted his roommates cheering near the top half, accompanied by his parents. Looking back at the Slytherins, James waited for King and Vanity to shake hands, the latter sending King a flashing smile.

"Good luck today," she told him as they released grips, her golden hair sparkling in the bright sun. "You're going to need it."

Keeping his face expressionless, King stepped back as Instructor Zunderfield, the referee, directed both of the teams onto their brooms. However, as King moved away, James spotted a familiar face among the rival players and could not stop a gasp from moving up his throat.

"You? You're the new Seeker?"

Shooting him a dark look, Regulus did not reply as Frank pulled James away.

"Come on, we're about to start!"

Unable to take his eyes off of Regulus, James did not respond until the Slytherin player had risen into the air with the rest of his team. Mounting his broom, James followed Frank into the sky just before Instructor Zunderfield blew his whistle.

"Here, James!"

Hearing King's yell, James shook off his lingering shock just in time to grab the Quaffle from his teammate. Chancing a glance up at the Seekers as he raced towards the Slytherin goalposts, James spotted Regulus zipping back and forth on his broom while Kennedy eyed the progression of the Quaffle from farther away. Attempting to shake off his wandering thoughts, James threw the ball to Frank, but his hand slipped and caused the Quaffle to travel a few meters short of its mark, landing instead into Mimbleton's grasp. Growling, James turned tail and zoomed in the other direction, fighting to gain ground on the Slytherin Chasers while they avoided Frank and King. A few moments later, James let out a hiss as the Quaffle sailed past Joseph into one of Gryffindor's goalposts.

"Watch your throw, James!" King called to him, and James slowed as Joseph dove to retrieve the Quaffle. Glancing up once again at the Seekers, he gritted his teeth when he spotted Kennedy staring right at him, evidently unconcerned with the hunt for the Snitch.

Spinning around, James tried to coax his mind back into the next few plays, but he contributed little to the rapid exchanging of the Quaffle. Every time he glimpsed the back of Regulus' head flash past by, the sheer oddity of seeing Sirius' brother in the air always managed to slow James' flight. Unfortunately, his distraction did not go unnoticed for long, and King soon waved James down after the Captain scored Gryffindor's first goal of the game.

"Is something wrong, James?" he asked, and James shook his head rapidly. Frowning, King gave him a closer look. "You're not nervous, are you? Your throws have been off."

"It's nothing!" James insisted, resisting the urge to kick himself. "I'm fine!"

Hovering by his side, Frank tilted his head. "Are you sure? I haven't seen you this disjointed during a game since the rainstorm last year."

"I'm fine, really!" James repeated, and King gave him one last look before flying off towards the center of the pitch.

"Well, if you're sure you're okay," Frank said slowly, giving him a close stare. "But if you could keep up with us, we could really use your help out there."

Throwing a glance over his shoulder at the Seekers, Frank took a moment's pause; stiffening, James thought that he had discovered the source of his agitation, but Frank soon turned around again.

"I don't want to doubt our new Seeker," he continued in a low voice, "but I'm a bit worried that Kennedy won't be able to come through for the Snitch at the end. I'd certainly feel a lot better if we pulled ahead of Slytherin while we can, just in case."

Relaxing slightly, James shot a glance up at Kennedy where he sat nearly motionless on his broom, and he turned a nod at Frank. "Right," he agreed, setting his jaw. "Let's win this thing!"

Brightening at James' sudden change of attitude, Frank followed him towards the middle of the field. Positioning himself in front of Rosier, James stared the enemy Chaser down until both teams were in flight again. Dodging a rogue Bludger, James took the Quaffle from King and dove to avoid Vanity's attack, drawing a roar of approval from the stands. As he approached the golden hoops at the end of the field, he tossed the Quaffle to Frank and zoomed to the side. Frank soon threw the ball back to James for the trick play, and James chucked the Quaffle into the left goalpost with all his might.

"Gryffindor goes up by ten points!" Eric Thompson, the student commentator, announced from a high tower overlooking the field. "They still have forty points to go if they want to catch up to Slytherin, but it looks like Potter is back in the game!"

Raising his fist towards the commentator's box as the crowd applauded, James flew back to join Frank and King until Kennedy suddenly appeared by his side, raising his white-gloved hand to stop him. "Potter? Might I have a word?"

Giving the Seeker his best glare, James snapped, "We're in the middle of a game! Shouldn't you be—"

"I couldn't help but notice that your flying has been a little slow," Kennedy interrupted as if he had not heard James at all. "If you flew with the wind instead of flying against it, you might be able to—"

"WHAT?" James shouted, putting his hand to his ear and flying with more urgency. "I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

"I SAID THAT YOU—" Kennedy yelled back, but James lifted his hands in a shrug and zipped off, leaving the Seeker in his wake.

Rolling his eyes, James clenched his broom handle and put as much distance as possible between him and his teammate. Queuing up with the other Chasers, he soon joined in the midair struggle for the Quaffle, but his lingering irritation caused him to miss a catch from Frank, allowing Vanity to grab the ball instead. Vexed by his helplessness to aid his teammates, James sat back on his broom as Slytherin scored once again. His eyes flitted up towards Kennedy, and he immediately wished that they hadn't; paired with the Seeker's usual raised eyebrow, Kennedy's mouth had twisted into an expression much like that of Remus' whenever James and Sirius landed in another detention.

Barely able to fight his instinct to ram into Kennedy, James spun around with a scowl and forced himself back into the play. Surprisingly, his frustration paid off in the form of powerful throws and incredible speed even for his Airwake, although his aim was a bit lacking. Once, he almost pummeled King in the temple when he tried to exchange the Quaffle, and Rosier managed to snatch the ball after King fumbled with the unexpected catch. Thankfully, Michael slowed Rosier with an expertly-aimed Bludger, and Frank recovered the ball before the Chaser could pass it to Mimbleton.

"Send it home, James!" Frank called out a few minutes afterwards, alerting James to his throw before he threw the Quaffle in his direction.

Snatching the ball, James sped towards the Slytherin goalposts and found himself fighting the wind. Choosing to ignore its resistance at the thought of Kennedy, he continued on his path of travel and reached the other end of the field slightly ahead of Vanity and Rosier, who swished forward to intercept the ball as James let it go. The Quaffle slipped right past their outstretched hands and even past the Keeper, but it bounced off the golden metal of the left hoop. Even so, James turned up a smirk at Kennedy as the ball fell away, feeling that the force of his throw had proved his merit.

"JAMES, LOOK OUT!"

Banking to the side, James heeded Frank's cry and tore away from the incoming Bludger, which had been hit by one of the Slytherin Beaters. In his hurry to avoid the incoming missile, he nearly bowled Vanity over in midair, only just missing her when she let out a short scream and swerved to the side. However, the Bludger seemed intent on following James, and he had to complete a sharp dive when it became clear that he needed to shake it off. Unprepared for his change of direction, the Bludger throttled right over his head and towards Kennedy, who only spotted the danger since he had been watching the Chasers instead of searching for the Snitch.

When he swiveled back into an upright position, his uniform slightly disheveled after the close miss, Kennedy shot a glare at James. "Are you trying to get somebody hurt?" he spat.

"I wouldn't have minded if I did," James retorted a little too loudly, and Kennedy glowered at him as James shook off his brief flight and flew back to join the other Chasers. King glanced over at the two players as they separated, but James ignored him as Kennedy zoomed off down the pitch and finally seemed to put some effort into his task.

Unbothered by any more unwanted comments for the moment, James flew without hindrance for the next several plays, and Gryffindor began to gain some ground on the opposition. Working with King and Frank, James was able to keep the Quaffle outside of scoring distance from the Gryffindor goalposts, and he even managed to forget about Regulus as he helped score one goal after another. Fully focused, James gave Frank a thumbs-up when the fifth-year scored another ten points, and he intercepted a pass from Rosier a few moments later and joined the other Chasers on the race towards the Slytherin Keeper. Before they could reach the goalposts, however, James glanced up when a collective gasp rose from the spectators.

"It looks like Black's spotted the Snitch!" Thompson exclaimed from the spectator's box, and James watched as Regulus tore across the pitch in a seemingly random direction, his thin body pressed tightly against his broom handle. Shooting into motion a moment later, Kennedy flew after the smaller Seeker, and James chanced a glance up at the scoreboard. Feeling his heart skip a beat, he realized that their score was not high enough to secure Gryffindor a win if Kennedy missed the Snitch, and he flew faster towards the goalposts in front of him.

Ducking under Vanity, he lobbed the Quaffle up at Frank, who had to double back when Rosier and Mimbleton cornered him. Circling around with him, James and King waited for him to pass the ball, but Rosier blocked King's path moments before Frank could throw the Quaffle to him. Switching targets as King drew Rosier away, Frank tossed the ball towards James, who caught it and dove at the newly-opened route in front of the Slytherin hoops.

About to let the Quaffle fly at the right goalpost, James felt his hair whip into his face with a sudden rush of wind in front of him, and he only had a split second to marvel at the speed of Regulus' passage before a heavy body slammed into his side. Letting go of the ball, he snarled at Kennedy as they both recovered a few meters from where they had crashed into each other.

"What's your problem?" James snapped, feeling his loathing for the Seeker boil to a mounting point inside his chest. "Didn't you see me? You're supposed to be looking for the Snitch!"

"Actually, _you_ were the one who got in my way," Kennedy responded, pulling up his collar as he glared back at James.

"Get back out there!" James commanded, jabbing his finger at Regulus' now-distant form.

"It's too late to catch up now!" Kennedy objected, stating the obvious as he refused to heed James' quickly-growing rage. Turning up his nose, Kennedy accused, "If you weren't such an oaf out on the field, maybe Gryffindor would have a chance at the Cup!"

With the abruptness of a breaking bone, James felt something inside of him snap, and he lunged at Kennedy with all of his might as the crowd yelled out. A little ways above him, James heard King's deep voice bellow out, but he ignored him as he let out his wrath on the Gryffindor Seeker. Falling several meters as their brooms became entangled, James and Kennedy pummeled each other on their way to the ground, and James only pushed away when he hit the grass with an unexpectedly hard thud. Rolling to his feet, he started at Kennedy as he started to rise, but he was soon stopped by a yell from King as the Captain landed and stomped towards him, fists clenched.

"JAMES! CASSIUS!" he boomed, making James pause and steel his fists. Lifting his chin, James stared back at King as Kennedy scrambled to his feet to meet the fast-approaching Captain. King's eyes were flashing a deep red, but James did not care: he only felt satisfaction that he had at last beaten the smile off of Kennedy's face.

However, all of James' anger disappeared when King thrust a finger up into the air at Regulus, who was holding up the fluttering wings of the Golden Snitch. His heart falling, James listened to the cheering onlookers before King changed the direction of his pointing finger and indicated the locker rooms.

"GET INSIDE!"

Clenching his jaw, James spun on his heel and marched towards the locker rooms with his Airwake. Leaving the clamorous pitch behind, he stomped into the dark underside of the stadium and slammed his fist against the nearest locker, feeling the cold metal bend under the weight of his hand. Pressing his forehead against his clenched fist, he breathed in and out heavily as he listened to the muted applause of the spectators outside, wishing that they could all just leave and give the place some quiet.

No one came to join him for a few minutes, and he eventually sank down onto the cement floor and wrapped his arms around his knees. Days seemed to pass, but James was grateful for whatever was keeping Kennedy from joining him in the empty room. If he had to look at the Seeker's self-satisfied smirk one more time that day, James felt sure that he would jump on him again without a second thought. Still, when King finally entered with the other players, James felt his throat tighten as he rose.

"I cannot believe your behavior!" King erupted at James and Kennedy. "You very well may have cost us the game, and you've made the team a laughingstock in front of the whole school! James, as if your attitude wasn't bad enough—"

"He's the one who's been causing all the problems!" James interrupted, pointing at Kennedy, but he snapped his mouth shut at the look on King's face.

"I don't want to hear what went on between you two!" he berated, and James knew that he meant it. "You're both at fault here, and I expect better of my own teammates! But since you obviously can't be trusted to behave yourselves on the field, I'll have to think up a way to fix your mistakes before you can embarrass the rest of us again. If I had anyone else remotely qualified to take your places, I would have you both kicked off the team."

Lowering his gaze, James scowled at the ground as the other players looked away. Taking in a long breath, King narrowed his eyes at James and Kennedy. "But seeing as how I can't do that, I'm simply going to put you two under probation. One more wrong move, and I won't hesitate to remove you from the next game. We don't need all seven members to play."

_Yeah, but it's still tactical suicide,_ James thought, but he was glad that he was not holding a Venus Thought-Trap.

"We'll discuss this more at the next practice," King stated. "And by the way, James, Professor McGonagall wants to see you for blatching."

Knowing full well that he would receive at least a week's worth of detention for instigating a brawl with Kennedy, James sighed and headed for the door, brushing past the other players. Avoiding all of their gazes, he took care not to brush against Kennedy's shoulder on the way out, and he trooped towards McGonagall where the Deputy Headmistress was waiting for him out on the pitch.

Twenty minutes and one heated lecture later, James left the empty field, his ire now faded away into gloom as he joined Sirius, who alone waited for him by the stands. As they trekked back to the faraway castle, Sirius kept quiet and let the lapping of the lake fill the silence.

Finally, James spoke up. "Where are my parents?"

"They left after mine showed up to congratulate Regulus," Sirius responded, glaring at the ground. "My mum would have started a row, and they thought it best that they didn't make today any worse." Sneering at the grass suddenly, he kicked at it and caused a chunk of dirt to fly into the air. "I can't believe that my prat of a brother didn't bother telling me that he would be flying against my best mate today. And of course my parents didn't write me, either—nah, they would rather just arrive on the field unannounced, applauding _Regulus_ for his mediocre Quidditch skills. Merlin, I would rather they just send me another Howler."

His own melancholy lessening somewhat, James decided not to argue for Regulus' indisputable talent in the air. "At least you don't have detention until Christmas," James replied. "I think that King might even kick me off of the team if I say one more bad thing about that Kennedy git."

"That bad, eh?" Sirius asked, giving James a sideways glance. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, your father said that Kennedy's face looked like a Kneazle had gotten at him in a wrong way, and that it was no wonder his personality was left a few marks short of a normal person's."

Cracking a grin despite himself, James huffed and ran a hand through his unkempt hair. "Well, at least I can say that I've knocked him up a bit. It _was_ rather satisfying."

"See?" Sirius told him, smiling. "And you won't be serving detention alone." When James frowned at him, he explained, "We have our two-way mirrors, don't we? You can just talk with me when no one's watching."

"Thanks," James responded, grateful that he at least still had Sirius on his side. "Is Remus mad?" he inquired after a moment's thought.

"A little shaken about the fight, but not angry," Sirius answered, smirking slightly. "Actually, he was furious with Kennedy after he collided with you. According to Remus, he's as daft as a bat with a blindfold, and he deserves a good strike with the Confundus Charm. Still, he and your mum asked me to make sure that you were all right after hitting the ground at that speed."

"I'm all right, but I hope that the impact did something to fix Kennedy's big head," James said, grinning. "I'll just tell Remus myself when I get back. Thanks for waiting for me."

"No problem," Sirius told him. "I figured that you would need someone to cheer you up after meeting with McGonagall."

Smiling, James nudged him on the arm as they continued towards the castle, feeling good enough to at last raise his head as the two of them trudged past the lake.


	9. An Unwitting Mistake

_Happy Halloween, everyone!_

* * *

**An Unwitting Mistake**

When classes started again the next week, James spent the first Monday evening scrubbing out the inner walls of the Astronomy Tower, a time-consuming task that lasted until far past nightfall. Thankfully, he was able to pass the hours whispering with Sirius through their two-way mirrors whenever Filch looked the other way; even when Mrs. Norris turned her yellow eyes on James, he and Sirius were able to communicate through facial gestures and muffled laughter, which nearly enabled Filch to sniff out James' source of amusement a few different times before the night had ended.

Although James was scheduled to clean the rest of the Astronomy Tower before the holidays arrived, he was pleased with Professor McGonagall's foresight in having him and Kennedy serve their punishments on opposite sides of the castle. Remembering his, Sirius', and Peter's detention with Hogwarts' biggest gossip last year, he knew he could have it worse. But as fate would have it, he survived the first night of detention with a sporting manifestation of exhaustion the following morning, when he joined the other fourth-year Gryffindors for Charms class.

"_Protego!_" Professor Flitwick demonstrated for the students, flicking his wand as high as his voice. Jumping from his wand-tip, a shimmering wall of blue light appeared between him and the rows of desks, staying in place while the watching students oohed.

"The Shield Charm is normally invisible, but I conjured a material form so that you could glimpse its makeup," Flitwick explained, waddling out from behind the shield, which stretched a fair ten centimeters above his head. "Depending on the strength of the hex used against the Shield Charm, the offensive spell could dissipate, glance off, or even shoot back at the attacker. Why don't you get into pairs and try it yourselves? You can use a simple Knockback Jinx to test out your charms' solidity."

Quickly rising from their seats, the students got into pairs as Professor Flitwick evaporated his Shield Charm with a slash of his wand. Joining his roommates near the back of the room, James tested out the charm with his drawn wand, producing a layer of transparent, water-like film between him and Peter. Frowning, he banished the charm with another wave as Remus sneezed.

"Sorry," he told the others, wiping his nose with the back of his hand as Peter jumped. "I think yesterday's Bubotubers are still bothering me."

"They were bothering everyone!" Sirius said, referencing the black, slug-like plants that they studied the day before in Herbology. "If I hadn't let go of my plant when I had, it would have spurted its pus all over my face! Did you see what it did to Newshod's hands?"

"I don't fancy Madam Pomfrey's job," James agreed, remembering with a shudder. The boils had grown to the size of Alice's eyes before she was ushered out to the hospital wing.

"I'm halfway surprised that the Bubotubers didn't get you," Sirius commented, turning to Peter. "You're usually the sort of person to get hit by bad luck."

"If he hadn't been standing a unicorn's length away from the nearest plant, he might be stuck in the hospital wing, too," Remus spoke up with a slight raise of his eyebrow, making James and Sirius laugh as Peter flushed.

"I was sure that it was going to explode if I touched it!" Peter defended himself. "Anyone would have thought the same thing, the way that it was jiggling!"

"Just tell us that when you get your Herbology marks back," James answered, and he turned to face Lily where she was partnered with Hillary on the other end of the room. "Hey, Evans! Is Newshod holding up all right?"

"Why would you care?" Lily asked back in a raised voice. "You haven't even so much as mentioned her since yesterday."

"I just miss seeing her with you, that's all," James replied, smirking. "You always look so much taller when she's standing next to—"

Ducking, James barely had time to clear his head of Lily's Knockback Jinx as she shot it across the room, one eye closed in concentration. Unprepared for the sudden action, Peter yelped and fell over as the jinx barreled towards Remus, who summoned a fully-formed Shield Charm just in time to defend himself. Nodding with a smile when her spell dissipated, Lily turned back towards Hillary and went on ignoring James and his friends.

"Blimey, nice aim!" James commented, rubbing the top of his head as he stood again, grinning in Lily's direction. However, he soon froze when he spotted his roommates' expressions, which ranged from confusion to Sirius' look of near-revulsion.

"What is it?" James asked.

"Are you feeling all right?" Remus inquired.

"What? Of course I am!" James defended, glancing between his friends' faces.

"Just making sure," Remus responded with a shrug, and he turned away so that he could conjure another Shield Charm. Feeling unnaturally hot around his neck, James threw another glance at Sirius, but his best mate only looked away and beckoned at Peter to defend himself with a Shield Charm.

Pairing up with Remus, James tried to focus on the lesson for the better part of an hour. By the end of the lesson, James had improved his Shield Charm to a near-invisible sheen, and he followed his classmates outside at Professor Flitwick's dismissal.

"James, do you think that you could show me the Shield Charm later this week in the common room?" Peter asked, dragging his left leg after a hard hit from one of Sirius' Knockback Jinxes. "I don't want to take remedial lessons, and you had one of the best Shield Charms in the class!"

Fighting a sigh, James tried to think of a way to refuse Peter's request. "Why don't you let Remus do it?" he responded, turning towards the mentioned party. "Yours was just as good as mine, and you don't have Quidditch practices to attend."

"Or detentions," Remus added, which made James smirk. Growing serious, Remus looked down at the ground. "I don't really think that I have the time, Peter. I've got enough homework with Study of Ancient Runes, and the full moon's coming up."

"Please?" Peter whined. "It won't be any trouble! It won't even take an afternoon to show me! I promise I'll get it down before an hour's done!"

Biting his lip, Remus seemed about to respond in the negative just before Sirius opened his mouth. "Why don't you ask Evans?" he spoke up, glancing over at Peter and James. "She didn't seem to be having any trouble with it. Just ask James—his eyes were stuck to her side of the room the entire period."

"No, they weren't," James disagreed, glaring at Sirius, but he added a small chuckle when Remus and Peter looked his way. "Come on, mates! I was just bored, and I wanted to see if anyone would miss me if I slipped out early!"

Still staring at him, his friends narrowed their eyes, and James felt the back of his neck begin to moisten beneath his tangled hair. Eventually tearing his eyes away from James, Peter addressed the others.

"Shouldn't we head down the stairs? Potions is that way."

Halting abruptly, the others realized that they had already passed the doorway that led to the dungeon level. Backtracking, they jogged down a dimly-lit flight of stairs until they reached the lowest floor of the castle, where they trotted hurriedly towards the Potions classroom. With just a moment to spare, they reached their desks before Professor Slughorn called the students to attention, which he did by tapping a ladle on a bubbling brass cauldron on his desk.

"Attention everyone!" Slughorn boomed, rapping the cauldron's side until the Gryffindors and Slytherins had quieted down. "We're going to be attempting to brew the next potion in our textbook today: the Wit-Sharpening Potion! It's a relatively simple exercise, at least for those of you who successfully prepared the Contemplation Concoction last month . . ."

Snorting, James turned to Sirius to crack a joke about their less-than-expert attempt at the previous month's assignment, but Sirius did not catch his eye and instead continued to stare straight ahead at the far wall. Sitting back with a frown, James turned back towards the barrel-chested Potions professor.

". . . but for those of you still struggling with the basics of rationale-based elixirs, not to fear! There are only three ingredients necessary for the potion, so keep your measuring bowls close by as you rotate between them! Wands out, and get to work!"

Preparing his armadillo bile for the beginning of yet another undoubtedly tortuous lesson, James barely had time to place his ingredients on the desk before a cough caught his attention from the table next to his. Looking up, he met the leering gazes of Snape and Wilkes, who regarded him with the exact sort of smiles that James had learned to distrust.

"What's the matter? Do I look especially dashing today?" James inquired, throwing them a grin.

"I noticed that you're looking a little tired," Wilkes replied, his smile exposing his gleaming teeth. "Could it possibly be from your detention last night?"

Clicking his tongue, Snape shook his head in mock pity. "It's a sad thing, fighting your own teammate on the field. How is Gryffindor ever supposed to recover from their embarrassment, not to mention their crushing loss?"

As he and Wilkes sniggered, James slowly felt his grin fade into a scowl. "Big talk coming from a House that hasn't won the Cup since our first year! What was it like winning a match for once? Your common room must have been wild that night, if any of your mates actually know how to have a good time."

"We were certainly having a better night than you were," Snape responded. "Did I hear correctly that your Captain nearly sacked you? I'm not entirely sure that he shouldn't have—there are loads of first-years who could replace your talentless hide in a heartbeat."

Bristling, James gripped his wand. "How about you try and stay up in the air long enough for me to take a Beater's bat to the side of your slimy head?" he growled.

"Boys, boys!" Professor Slughorn interrupted before either of the Slytherins could respond, stepping between them and James. "Less chatter and more chopping! I want to see those potions glimmering on my desk at the end of the period! Hurry up, now!"

Slowly peeling his glare away from Snape as Slughorn moved aside, James threw a handful of ginger root into his cauldron as the professor waddled off. However, he only had a few moments to work on his potion before Snape and Wilkes started snickering again, causing James to grip his wand handle on instinct.

"Potter's looking pretty riled, Severus!" Wilkes spoke up just loudly enough for James to hear. "There must be some truth to him almost getting kicked off the team, after all!"

Leaning over his desk, Snape sneered at James and said, "Take away your Airwake, and you're nothing more than a mediocre flyer with a head as big as your mouth."

Standing up, James turned his wand on the two hecklers, but Professor Slughorn spotted his movement out of the corner of his eye. "Mr. Potter, sit down and get to work!" he exclaimed rather severely, his eyes popping when he saw that James had not obeyed him. Sinking back down into his chair, James gritted his teeth and glared at Snape and Wilkes.

"I bet that you wouldn't be so confident if you didn't have Professor Slughorn to hide behind," James accused with a hiss. "It's like the Hogwarts Express all over again, isn't it? You won't pick a fight unless it's already rigged in your favor!"

"Speak for yourself," Wilkes goaded, leaning back on his chair with a smirk. "You don't go anywhere without Black at your side. It must have been a real shock to be bested by his little brother at the last match, wasn't it?"

Rising to his feet again, James caused several of the other students to turn his way as Professor Slughorn spun around, his face purple. "Take your seat, Mr. Potter! If I see you fool around one more time, I'll take twenty points from Gryffindor and send you straight to your Head of House!"

Plopping down into his chair, James attempted to ignore Snape's taunting whisper by staring at his open textbook, unable to take in any of the information. "Too scared to do anything in front of Slughorn?" Snape teased. "You're showing an uncanny amount of discernment, Potter!"

"I didn't know that it was possible for him to keep quiet for more than a few seconds!" Wilkes told his Housemate, chortling as James' jaw twitched. Following a glance over his shoulder, which showed Slughorn watching him out of the corner of his eye, James decided to wait until the period had ended before taking his revenge.

After every minute or two, either Snape or Wilkes would find something else nasty to say, chuckling to themselves when James' knuckles turned white from clenching his fists. Unable to focus on his Wit-Sharpening Potion, James ended up guessing at the amount of ground scarab beetles to mix in, which caused his solution to turn a light yellow instead of a deep red. His jaw tightened with each passing jab that Snape and Wilkes threw at him, and he concluded the lesson by stirring his elixir far more vigorously than necessary, which at least darkened the potion a few values.

Eventually giving up, he started to bottle up his potion, but he accidentally spilled a few drops on his robes as Snape walked past him with a harsh whisper. "Might want to save a bit of that for later, eh, Potter?"

Scowling at Snape's back, James brushed off his robes while Wilkes smirked at him and joined his Housemate in front of Professor Slughorn's desk to drop off their potions. After envisioning what Snape would look like blasted off of his feet, James paused and glanced back at the Slytherin' abandoned cauldrons. Moving fast as an idea struck him, he scooped up a vial of Snape's potion, knowing full well that his own was probably not potent in its sorry state.

Rushing up to the front of the room, James deposited his own vial onto Slughorn's desk while pocketing Snape's, and to his relief, no one seemed to notice his stolen prize. As Snape and Wilkes exited the classroom in front of him, James ran back to his desk and tapped Sirius to follow him.

"What's going on, mate?" Sirius asked as they slipped out into the hallway ahead of their other Housemates.

"Just watch this!" James answered, taking out Snape's potion and downing it in one gulp. Breaking into a jog, he pulled out his wand and ran to catch up to Snape and Wilkes.

"Oi, Snivy!" he called out as he and Sirius broke out into the Entrance Hall, and Snape turned around just as James blasted a spell at his feet. "_Provolvo!_"

Falling over thin air, Snape caught himself as he hit the ground, and a few of the other students in the corridor could not help but laugh at his sudden descent. Rolling into a sitting position, he sneered as James approached, and Sirius issued a laugh while Wilkes watched from farther away.

"Come to prove our point?" Wilkes goaded James. "You really can't handle anything without brute force, can you?"

"Sit down, Beetle-Brain," James told him, flicking his wand and making the Slytherin hit the ground next to Snape as another burst of laughter echoed through the hallway. Glancing over his shoulder, James saw Remus and Peter walk into view with their other classmates. As James had expected, Lily pushed through the crowd just a few moments later, and James grinned back down at the fallen Slytherins, keeping his wand trained on Wilkes to keep him from rising as Lily quickly stomped up to him.

"What are you doing, Potter?" she demanded. "We haven't been let out of class five minutes, and you're already picking fights!"

"What can I say? I don't waste time," James replied, and Peter moved forward to watch the action with the others in the hallway. Staying put, Remus looked at the ground and looked very much as if he wanted to leave the room.

Nodding at Lily, Wilkes told James, "The little red-head has a point, you know. I'd swear that you didn't know how to keep your temper in check if you didn't get along with that blood traitor Black so well."

Putting away his wand as Sirius crossed his arms, James raised his empty hands. "Hey, I'll strike a deal with you: to show that I'm fair-minded, I'll let us settle this without our wands, just you two and me. How does that sound? Seem fair to you, Evans?"

Narrowing her eyes, Lily started to object. "Potter—"

"No tricks, just an honest battle of wits!" James attested, and Sirius grinned knowingly at him as Snape and Wilkes stood. Convinced that Snape's Wit-Sharpening Potion had started to kick in, James waved the Slytherins on. "Go ahead! Tell everyone here exactly what you said to me in class."

"We said that you're a talentless Quidditch player who hides behind your mates," Wilkes stated matter-of-factly, crossing his arms. A few gasps rose from the crowd, and the onlookers all turned to face James; although a bit surprised by Wilkes' bravery, James nevertheless kept a smile on his lips as he stared back at the Slytherins.

"Anything to add, Snivellus?" James inquired, and Snape raised a dark eyebrow.

"No, that just about covers it," he responded, to which the surrounding students started whispering among themselves quietly. Watching James with a blank face, Lily folded her arms as James smirked at the Slytherins.

"And I say that it takes a coward to know one!" James announced. "What were you two prats just doing back in the dungeons, eh? Not too keen on mouthing off when you don't have a professor to fall back on, are you?"

"If you haven't noticed, Potter, there aren't any professors around at the moment," Wilkes replied, fighting back a yawn, "and we weren't afraid to tell the whole room what we thought of you just now, were we?"

Realizing his mistake, James quickly backtracked as some of the nearby students exchanged glances. "Er, I meant that you always have your own mates to back you up," he corrected. "That brute Mulciber and your bird-faced pal Avery are never more than a yell away, are they?"

"They've already gone on ahead," Wilkes answered back, still staring at James as if putting up with an unruly Clabbert. "Will you just get to the point already, or have you got one?"

Shrinking slightly, James felt his face heat up as the watching students giggled around him. Racking his brain for a response, he realized with mounting panic that he could not come up with one, and he paused for a humiliating amount of time while the spectators laughed still more loudly. Frozen, James glanced at Sirius, who gave him the same look that he once sent Peter when he asked for the difference between a Basilisk and a regular snake.

Smirking, Snape finally spoke up and called everyone's focus back to him. "Thought that you would try and give your mind an edge, didn't you?" he inquired of James, and James felt his stomach drop. "I knew that you would filch some of my Wit-Sharpening Potion if I turned my back, so I tainted it after collecting some to turn in. You should find it hard to think straight for the next few hours or so, which will serve you right for stealing someone else's classwork."

Flushing even more as the students continued to laugh at his predicament, James glanced over at his Housemates. Peter's mouth had fallen open, but Lily was wearing an expression much like that of Wilkes' aloof stare. At the cold look from her green eyes, James whirled on Snape with a snarl.

"_Slugulus Eructo!_" James shouted, drawing out his wand and pointing it at Snape. Unprepared for James' sudden movement, Snape did not have time to dodge the spell as it hit him squarely in the chest and made him keel over onto his knees. Making a hideous retching sound, the greasy-haired boy opened his mouth to let out six or so bloated slugs, which hit the stone floor with ghastly squelching noises.

"Potter, you said that you wouldn't use your wand!" Lily yelled as several of the nearest students cried out and leapt back from Snape.

"He broke the rules first!" James accused, holding his wand over Snape's head as the scrawny boy let loose another rain of slugs.

"You said nothing about potions!" Lily shouted back, her fists clenched, and James let out a small hiss as he ignored her. Looking up at James murderously, Snape soon bowed to the earth again as he belched out a pair of banana slugs between his hands. Stepping back from his Housemate with a wrinkled nose, Wilkes sniffed at Snape's quaking form and turned his blond head.

"Have fun cleaning up that mess," he spoke before starting off down the Entrance Hall.

"Coward!" James yelled out after his retreating back, but Wilkes ignored him as he slipped off out of view.

Heaving, Snape loosed another dozen slugs as Lily turned her bared teeth on James. "Let him up! He's got to go see Madam Pomfrey!"

"Nah, let him be!" Sirius replied, laughing. "I haven't had this much fun watching somebody lose their lunch since Peter got sick during a Quidditch scrimmage!"

Turning bright red to match her hair, Lily slowly pulled out her wand and held it in her quivering fist; looking on, the other students watched carefully for her next move. "Let him go, Potter! Don't make me fight you!" Lily snarled.

James glanced at her furious expression as Snape continued to convulse horridly in front of them, unable to stand or speak, though James felt sure that he would have grabbed his wand if the continual downpour of slugs was not keeping him from casting an incantation. Staring back at Lily's unrelenting gaze, James wavered for a moment before readjusting his wand to point at Snape resolutely.

"Come on, Evans, are you really going to fight me?" he asked, shaking his head. "I've never seen you so much as aim your wand at another student!"

"Er, she nearly downed you with a Knockback Jinx today, mate," Sirius reminded James in a whisper, and James felt his confidence melt as Lily raised her wand to chest height.

"Let him go!" she spoke through clenched teeth. "I'll count to three: one, two . . ."

Freezing, both James and Sirius regarded her with the slightest bit of reverent fear, and James burst out, "Wait just a moment, Evans—"

"_Petrificus Totalus!_" Lily yelled, and James, expecting the spell, quickly took his own wand off of Snape.

"_Protego!_" he responded, and Lily's spell glanced away from James just in time, hurtling towards the back wall. Meeting the four towering hourglasses that documented the school's House Points, it smashed into the Slytherin glass and caused a shower of bright green emeralds to cascade out of place while James and Sirius shielded their faces. Crying out, the other students backed away from the green avalanche as it slowed to a halt just in front of Snape's retching form. Lowering his hands as a stray emerald bounced against his foot, James stared up at the shattered column of glass with his mouth hanging open.

"Merlin's beard," Sirius muttered, and James turned to see Lily aiding Snape to his feet, the hook-nosed boy looking even sallower than usual. Deciding not to intervene, James cast a glance over his shoulder at the broken hourglass and smirked.

"Well, if you aren't going to clean this up, Evans, someone has to," he spoke up, gesturing at the mess. "I don't know where all the emeralds are supposed to go, though . . . I suppose I'll just have to guess, then."

Lifting his wand, he started directing the emeralds back into the giant glass ellipses using the Levitation Charm, sending hundreds more than necessary into the upper half of the hourglass to retract Slytherin's points. As Snape and Lily glared at him from behind, he narrated, "Any decent prefect would have taken off points for attempted poisoning, so you can thank yourself for that, Snivellus. And I'll give your House a few dozen less for . . . er . . ." Drawing a blank, James huffed and shook his head to clear it. "Just for being Slytherin, I suppose."

Once he had welded the broken glass pieces back into place, James turned and watched as the students parted to allow Lily and Snape a clear path. "Go on, run off, then!" James called after Snape. "Just remember what happens when you pick a row with me!"

After glaring once more over his shoulder, Snape became sick again, and the surrounding spectators let out revulsed exclamations as several slugs dropped onto the floor. Although she wrinkled her nose, Lily nevertheless tried to hold up her friend, but Snape shoved her away and tried to walk on his own. A moment later, he vomited again and nearly slipped to the floor on the slug slime while James and Sirius laughed at the pitiable scene.

"Don't stain the floors, Sniv!" Sirius cried after Snape's retreating form, and although the Slytherin did not turn his head, James saw his body stiffen before he bent over again to emit a lengthy gag. When he started forward again, he did not fight Lily's support, and the pair stumbled away as James left the Entrance Hall in the other direction with his roommates, still laughing.


	10. A Disappointing Discovery

**A Disappointing Discovery**

About a week before the Christmas holidays, James and the other fourth-year Gryffindors were sitting in Professor Aven's class, listening as the wizard wrapped up his lecture on counter-spells. Yawning, James found himself wishing that Aven would spend less of his class periods lecturing and allow the students to practice their wand-work, but the class had collected so much homework over the last few weeks that he was afraid to even bring it up lest they fall behind indefinitely.

"And you all know how to deal with the effects of an improperly-cast Jelly-Legs Curse by now!" Professor Aven said to the class, turning from the blackboard and pausing for a moment. "And if you don't, you'll get to that in Charms soon enough. Off you go now, class is dismissed! And don't forget about the Hogsmeade trip after the break! It's a wonderful opportunity to get away from your studies and see a real wizarding village! You should all take advantage of it!"

Standing with the rest of his classmates, James gathered his belongings as Professor Aven picked up the essays that the students had turned in. Aven had tied the parchment rolls together with small bits of string to keep them from unraveling, and James briefly admired his ingenuity before heading out of the door with his roommates, exiting just behind Lily and Alice.

Spotting James out of the corner of her eye, Lily turned and stuck her nose into the air; she had not so much as breathed in his direction after the incident with Snape and the Slug-Vomiting Charm, and although James wished that she would at least acknowledge him, he could not suppress a contented sigh as he watched her red hair float over her shoulder.

Distracted, James did not realize that Peter was in the midst of a rant until halfway through his babbling. ". . . and I always thought that the Three Broomsticks was the best place to go for a drink, but Dirk Cresswell—you know him, that freckly Ravenclaw a year behind us, he's in the Slug Club—he says that he's always preferred the Hog's Head Inn. He says that it's quiet, but I think that he's really spying on the different species that come in. He already speaks Gobbledegook nearly fluently you know, and he sounds just like a goblin when he does it! But the Hog's Head still gives me the chills, and I say that Cresswell can keep it for himself. What do you think, James?"

"Sorry, what?" James asked, having drifted off again during Peter's long spiel.

"Wipe that silly grin off of your face, mate!" Sirius chastised him. "We're deciding where we want to visit in Hogsmeade after we get back to Hogwarts."

"I don't need a say," Remus told the group. "I'll be locked up in the Shrieking Shack that day, and I won't be missing you all that much."

"Sure you will!" Sirius disagreed, punching him on the arm. "We're great!" Upon drawing a light laugh from Remus, Sirius turned his lopsided grin on James. "What do you say? The town might still be decorated for Christmas, but Honeydukes might have started preparing for Valentine's Day if we're lucky. I say that we stop by there first before all of the dewy-eyed couples can steal the good stuff."

"All right," James agreed, and he ran his hand through his hair as he continued to stare at the back of Lily's head. Speaking offhandedly before Sirius and Peter could start discussing their options again, he asked, "Were you thinking of going with anyone? For Valentine's Day, I mean."

Turning a sideways look at him, Sirius frowned. "Nah, I thought that we would all go together. Not that I would have any problem roping in an admirer," he added to the others, laughing as he jabbed Peter in the side a little too hard. Grunting, the shorter boy held his stomach as James stared ahead.

"Eh, it was just a thought," James said, and he addressed the others again before he could change his mind. "But out of curiosity, do you think that Evans would go with me if I asked?"

Remus threw his head back to let out a hearty laugh, and James turned a glower on him. After several moments, Remus finally wiped his eyes with a few scattered chuckles and shook his head, but his smile quickly melted into an open gape when he saw his friend's expression.

"That was a gag, right?" Remus asked, almost pleadingly while Sirius eyed James carefully. Removing his glare from Remus, James stuffed his hands into his pockets and kicked at the ground, and Remus took an audible breath of air. "Wait," he said, his jaw dropping even lower, "you don't . . . _fancy_ her, do you?"

"No!" James scoffed, but Remus halted and clutched his head with his hands.

"Oh, _James!_" he moaned, but Sirius interrupted him.

"What's gotten into you, James?" he demanded. "Evans has had it out for us since when we first arrived at Hogwarts! Of all the girls in the school that you could have picked—"

"Hey, it's not my fault!" James snapped back, stiffening at his roommates' reactions. "And it's not that I _fancy_ her—she's just smart, you know? Good with charms."

"_Good with charms?_" Sirius repeated, punching every word. "I've seen how you stare at her from across the Great Hall! You _definitely_ fancy her." When James turned away, Sirius narrowed his eyes still further. "Does your stomach twist when you see her?" Refusing to answer, James simply stared at the ground, and Sirius turned away with a hiss. "Oh, he _definitely_ fancies her!"

"Oh, no, no, no, no!" Remus chanted, shaking his head as Peter looked back and forth between his roommates. "This can't be happening! James, you realize how hopeless this is, right? I mean, Lily can't _stand_ you—no offense," he added quickly as James shot him a dirty look. "But look at what you did to Snape the other day! You can't just knock about her friends and expect her to go out with you!"

"I never said that she would—I was just asking if you thought she might," James defended before scuffing the ground with his toe. "But you've all made your opinions quite clear."

"It's useless, mate," Sirius told him, shaking his head as he walked off. "Forget about her."

Giving James one last sympathetic look, Remus followed suit as Peter jumped after him, nearly tripping over his feet when he ignored the floor in favor of James' downcast face. Remaining still for a few moments longer, James finally trudged after his roommates with his hands in his pockets.

After their conversation, James refrained from bringing up the subject of Lily again, which seemed to please Sirius just fine. The severity of his roommates' reactions had deterred James from so much as using Lily's name, but he was not entirely sure that his friends were right about his supposed infatuation. Ever since his first year, he had never thought of Lily as anything more than an obstinate albeit occasionally humorous classmate, and he hesitated at the idea of fancying her. After all, she was friends with that slime-ball Snape, and James would normally find such a friendship irredeemable—however, after Sirius had called attention to his butterflies in James' stomach, he was beginning to suspect with less and less uncertainty his attraction to her. He still had no one to talk to about it, but he eventually saw an opening at a passing comment from Sirius as the two of them boarded the Hogwarts Express for the journey to Potter Cottage for the holidays.

"I haven't been able to think of anything else all month!" Sirius announced as he and James lugged their suitcases on board, lagging behind Remus and Peter. "Your Christmases are so much better than the ones at my house! You have Christmas cake, decorations, the whole bundle! At my place, we only have a few lanterns out on the front porch. My parents might even forget to bring in a tree if they didn't have Regulus to pamper, but you've seen the kind of presents that they give—really, the whole affair is dreary."

"I'm looking forward to my mum's cooking," James admitted, dragging his suitcase behind him. "Hokart and the other house-elves really know how to whip up a good meal at Hogwarts, but it's not the same as the stuff at home. Besides, Winthrop makes the best treacle tart!"

"As long as your father doesn't start dancing with your mum in the kitchen again, I'll help her make the fudge," Sirius offered, grinning. "But after the last time, I'd prefer the bowl to stay on the counter."

"The walls really were a mess," James laughed. "At least my dad didn't have any hair to wash!"

Shaking his head, Sirius commented, "I swear, if my father was as big a fool as yours around my mum, she would left him years ago for that git Rookwood at the Ministry. I've never seen two people as much head-over-heels for each other as your parents. How do you stand it?"

"Eh, they don't embarrass me in public so much," James replied, but he felt a smile creep across his face as a thought struck him. Grinning, he threw a spring into his step as he and Sirius approached their roommates' compartment, but the two of them stopped as Regulus appeared from a nearby doorway and blocked their path. Not entirely pleased to see him after the last Quidditch match, James waited for Regulus to walk past them as Sirius crossed his arms.

"Move, Regulus. I haven't got all day."

Jolting with surprise as if just noticing the two of them, Regulus narrowed his eyes and glanced between James and his brother before addressing the latter. "You're coming back home with me, aren't you?"

"I'm staying at James' place for the holidays," Sirius corrected him shortly.

His face darkening, Regulus narrowed his eyes. "You aren't even coming back for Christmas?" Not waiting for an answer, he straightened and crossed his arms in an exact replica of Sirius, each of them staring down the other. "Don't you even want to be around our family anymore?"

"Oh, come off it, you know that no one will miss me, anyway," Sirius snapped. "Just tell our mum to save her tears, all right?"

Stepping forward, he tried to push past Regulus, but the third-year moved to the side to block him. "You don't get to talk about our mother like that!" he growled, his threat slightly undermined by his thin frame and waxy face.

"I'll talk about her however I bloody well please!" Sirius retorted, giving Regulus a small shove that sent the smaller boy stumbling back into the wall. "Now move, before I do something that you'll regret!"

Stepping around him, Sirius set off down the hallway while Regulus straightened and brushed off his robes. As James passed, Regulus locked eyes with him and gave him a stare that sent chills down James' spine. Hurrying to catch up to Sirius, James slid into the compartment with his roommates and slid the door shut, locking Regulus out.

When the train reached King's Cross Station several hours later, Remus and Peter waved their friends goodbye before joining their families. Spotting his parents a little ways ahead, James started jogging with Sirius towards the other end of the platform, and Sirius picked up his speed when Regulus stepped off the Hogwarts Express a few doors down. Spotting his brother, Regulus turned up his nose and headed in the opposite direction while James hurried to catch up with Sirius.

Tired after the long journey, James and Sirius fell asleep in the former's room shortly after dinner, which Winthrop had prepared for the Potters and their guest. As usual, James was the first to wake shortly before sunrise, and he took care not to disturb Sirius as he slipped out of bed and grabbed a clean shirt. Changing into it on the way downstairs, he padded softly into the drawing room and stretched out his arms, yawning. Only the dim, misty light of the early morning shone on the carpet underfoot, and James, expecting to be alone, started when he heard a tapping sound from the window. Relaxing as he spotted Hardwin through the glass pane, James allowed the owl inside and tickled his tufty head before Hardwin flapped away and landed on a sofa's arm to preen himself.

Glancing at the small table beside the sofa, James spotted his father's wand lying on its surface, and he looked over his shoulders to see if anyone else was awake; deciding that his father had forgotten his wand the night before, he picked it up and waved it experimentally at Hardwin. Uttering a small squawk of protest, the owl tried to soar away, but his wings folded against his body as he dropped to the floor, transforming into a white-and-brown speckled mouse.

"That's pretty good!" a voice from behind spoke up, and James whirled around to spot his father leaning against the doorway to the kitchen. Standing up straight, the aging wizard approached and gestured at the scuttling rodent. "Been practicing Cross-Species Switches in Transfiguration?"

"Kind of," James admitted, scratching the back of his neck. "Our professor hasn't let us try Transfiguring anything bigger than a toad yet."

"If that's what you can do with an owl, I don't think that your professor will be able to teach you much else," his father told him, smiling down at Hardwin as he let out a squeak. "But let's turn your poor bird back, shall we? I don't think that he'll let any of us get within arm's reach if you traumatize him any more."

Grinning, James released his spell with a wave of his father's wand, and Hardwin fluttered off with a passing glare at his owner, quickly disappearing into an adjoining room. Laughing, James' father accepted his wand as James returned it.

"It's a good thing that you're getting older," James' father commented, turning his wand over in his hand before he secured it inside of his pocket. "Soon you'll be able to use your own wand at home instead of borrowing mine. Seventeen is only three years away now, isn't it?" Shaking his head, he stared down at his son with a sad sort of smile. "My, how the time flies! Whenever you come home from Hogwarts, I'm afraid that you'll pass me up in height."

"Actually, there was something that I wanted to talk to you about," James mentioned, glancing over his shoulder to see if his mother or Sirius had woken up yet. Nodding, his father settled down on the sofa and motioned for James to do the same.

"Talk away!" he invited. "I'm all ears!"

Resting on the other end of the sofa, James rubbed his palm as he stared down at his knees. "Do you have any advice about how to talk with witches?"

"I see," his father spoke, failing to hide the smile that instantly spread across his face. Leaning back, he asked, "Any particular girl in mind?"

"Er—just someone in my year," James admitted, glancing away.

"Does she know you?" his father inquired.

"Yeah."

"What's she like?"

"Well . . ." Taking a breath, James looked up at his father's shining eyes. "She's really smart, and great with a wand. She's one of the best in our class, but she can be kind of . . . intense sometimes." Smiling, his father waited as James cleared his throat and sat up straighter. "The problem is, I don't think that she likes me very much."

"Why do you think that?"

"Er . . ." James started, quickly thinking up an answer. "We just don't talk a lot."

Putting his fingers together, James' father held them up to his mouth and thought for a moment before answering. "You know," he finally began, leaning towards James with a small grin, "Euphemia wasn't all that gentle when we first started seeing each other."

"She wasn't?" James asked, starting; he could not imagine his gray-haired mother being anything other than gentle.

"Quite the contrary!" his father replied, laughing. "She asked me out at wand-point, just to keep me from brushing past her in the hallway again! But as it turned out, she was far kinder once you got to know her. Most of the time, I'd say that witches use their ferocity as a sort of weapon, to keep us dafter breed at bay. You just have to give it time."

"But how will I know if she fancies me?" James objected.

"Ask," his father replied, shrugging. "It's the simplest method, and there's no harm in putting out the question. Though," he added with a sparkle in his eye, "some say that you can tell by the way that witches look at you."

Frowning as he called to mind Lily's glaring emerald eyes, James banished the thought from his head and turned to his father again. "When you and Mum started dating, were any of your mates upset about it?"

"Jealous, you mean?" his father questioned, cocking his head.

"No," James clarified as he looked down again. "Just . . . cross, I suppose."

"Trouble with your mates?"

Shrugging, James did not respond, and his father shook his head with a smile. "You can't expect them all to understand, not at your age, anyway. But they're your mates, and they'll likely get over it sooner than you think. If there's anything that I've learned after all my years, it's that your group of truest mates can bounce back from anything."

Encouraged, James spoke up as another question pressed against his mind. "But how am I supposed to get Eva—I mean, how do I get her to talk to me?"

Leaning forward, James' father patted his son's knee. "If she doesn't notice you at first, just keep pushing at it! That's what your mother did, and it worked! Who knows? Maybe she'll turn around."

James nodded, thinking hard. "Thanks, Dad."

"No problem!" his father answered, giving James another beam. "Glad to help in any way that I can! And if you ever need any more advice," he added, tapping his forehead, "you know that I'll always be willing to give it."

Smiling, James was about to respond when the floor creaked from behind him, and he turned to see Sirius standing in the doorway with a heavy coat and a silk scarf wrapped up his neck. "You ready?" he asked James, rubbing his eyes.

"Oh, yeah!" James said, jumping up from the sofa and turning to his father. "We were going out to town."

"Have fun, you two!" his father replied, waving as the boys crossed to the doorway. "Euphemia and I will see you for breakfast, then?"

"Maybe lunch," James answered, and his father nodded farewell as the boys left the room. Grabbing a coat on the way to the front door, James slipped it on as Sirius led the way outside.

"Ready to start the Animagus Potion?" James questioned as he finished buttoning his coat.

"Let's just get this over with," Sirius replied, yawning as he pulled his scarf closer around him. "I don't want to spend any more time out in the snow than necessary."

Stepping off the frost-kissed porch, James and Sirius kicked up the hard-packed snow strewn across the length of Godric's Hollow. Passing the churchyard just a few blocks away from Potter Cottage, they turned at the cemetery and continued on towards the shopping district, which was nearly empty in the stillness of the fallen snow. When the boys passed Oldeman's Candy Store, the wizard shopkeeper waved out from the entrance, but he disappeared within the warmth of his shop before James and Sirius had passed.

Eventually, the stores began to peter out in favor of private addresses, and the two boys trotted up to the despondent storefront of the local flower shop. Rubbing their arms for warmth upon their bell-announced entrance, they glanced around at the pristine bouquets displayed around the room, and James could not help but feel that the flowers were a little too perfect, almost lonely in their delicate arrangements. As the curtain swished from the back room of the shop, he was grateful to have the quiet disturbed by the arrival of Ms. Xu.

"The holidays already?" the raven-haired witch asked, holding the curtains back with one hand. Before the boys could do anything more than nod, Ms. Xu was already beckoning them into the back room. "Well, come on, then! Are you waiting to choke on the aroma?"

Hurrying forward, James and Sirius ducked beneath the shopkeeper's arm and straightened in the jar-filled back room, the smell instantly changing from floral to herby. Fighting back a cough at the strong odor, James turned to Ms. Xu as she pulled the curtains closed.

"Do you have the leaves ready?" he inquired, and the witch paused.

"What do you mean? I thought that you were here to drop off the Mandrake leaves," she said.

Exchanging a look, James and Sirius froze until the latter turned on the storeowner. "Didn't Mundungus deliver them?"

"He hasn't stopped by since your last visit," Ms. Xu told him, still staring at the two. Glancing between them, she asked, "Didn't he contact you?"

"No!" James exclaimed, now starting to panic. "We haven't heard anything at all! Do you think that something happened to him?"

"It's more likely that he backed out," Sirius growled, and James clenched his fists when he realized that Sirius was probably right.

"But why?" James called into question. "We were going to pay him for the leaves. Why wouldn't he bring them?"

"Maybe he couldn't get them in time," Ms. Xu guessed, shrugging.

"He said that he would have them by now!" Sirius announced, bristling. "That's no excuse! Do you know where he is?"

"Me?" Ms. Xu asked, touching her chest. "I haven't heard a word from him in months, but if you two boys were to look for him, I might be able to suggest a few places to start."

"Where?" James and Sirius asked together.

"Mundungus has a few hangouts in London," she began. "He has a few partners on Brewer Street, though one of my associates saw him on Holloway Road late last year. Do you know the Leaky Cauldron?"

"Yes," James answered. "Does he stop by Diagon Alley often?"

"There's another street that branches off from there called Knockturn Alley," Ms. Xu explained. "It's a dirty section of the city, and I don't like going there myself, but Mundungus gets many of his curiosities from there. I might try looking there first if you can."

"Is there anywhere else you can think of?" Sirius questioned.

After thinking for a moment, Ms. Xu raised a bony finger. "You two are old enough to travel to Hogsmeade now, aren't you? He sometimes goes there to catch a drink or meet another poor sap to buy off of him."

"Knockturn Alley, Brewer Street, Hogsmeade," James repeated, engraining the places into his mind. "Got it!"

"I'm sorry that I couldn't have the potion ready for you, lads," Ms. Xu told them as they turned towards the main room. "If I had guessed that Mundungus hadn't spoken with you, I would have tried to reach you earlier."

"That's all right. It isn't your fault," James told her, though he spoke through gritted teeth at the thought of Mundungus. "We'll just have to track him down ourselves."

"If our deal's still on, you just get back to me when you can," she answered, brushing the air away with her hand.

Exiting the back room, James and Sirius walked out onto the street with slumped shoulders. No sooner had a silence settled between the two of them than Sirius hissed and kicked at the ground.

"When I get my hands on Mundungus, that slimy git is going to regret this!" he promised.

Nodding, James clenched his fists. "Just leave enough of him for me when you're through. He won't be crossing us again once we find him."


	11. A Christmas Cut Short

**A Christmas Cut Short**

Almost as soon as James and Sirius got back from the apothecary, they asked James' parents if they could stop by Diagon Alley to search for some extra potion ingredients. Although surprised to hear that they had run out of supplies already, James' mother agreed to take the boys on an afternoon trip before Christmas. After only a few days to mull over the disappearance of Mundungus Fletcher, James and Sirius traveled via Floo powder to the Leaky Cauldron, soon entering Diagon Alley behind the brick wall next to the pub.

"Do you need me to find you anything in particular?" James' mother inquired of the two boys, still catching her breath from the uncomfortable experience of inter-fireplace transportation. "I could find an ingredient while you two—"

"No, you can wait for us outside," James interrupted, trying to think of a way to lose her. "If you wanted to stop by The Teabag, you can grab a cup while Sirius and I run about."

"If you're sure, dear," his mother answered, although she breathed easier at the mention of rest. Winded, she looked through the nearest shop's window and brightened, spotting a wiry little witch who waved frenetically from inside. "Why, it's Gillian! I'll have to stop and say hello!"

Striding off, she left the two boys to trot off in the other direction, passing the closely-packed stores that progressed down the street. James glanced over his shoulder and watched his mother vanish into the interior of the tea shop before hurrying ahead with Sirius. Continuing, they waited to turn until spotting a sign above a sharp corner reading, "Knockturn Alley."

Pattering down the alleyway, James and Sirius slowed to accommodate for the darker, more enclosed street, even though they no longer had any shoppers to press past. Staring up at the storefronts around them, they ducked down to avoid the sharp tiles hanging from the roofs, which looked as if they might fall and crush the street below. Feeling claustrophobic, James lowered his gaze and peered into the window of the nearest shop, but he soon regretted his decision as a pair of oversized, luminous eyes stared back at him.

"Heh," Sirius chuckled as he spotted the cause of James' sudden jump. "My family would love it here. We've got house-elf heads tacked all over our walls."

Walking on, Sirius left James feeling rather foolish, and he rushed to catch up to his friend after glancing once more at the mounted head. Determined to regain some of his dignity, James took the lead and stared down every adjoining street that they passed. Some of the shop windows were boarded up or too blackened with grime to see through, but most of the stores offered a clear glimpse of their questionable merchandise, which ranged from small animal bones to rocking chairs that moved on their own. Certain that half of the objects on display were cursed, James tried to move past a malodorous cart when a toothless street peddler jumped out from the other side.

"Need elephant tonsils, lads?" the witch cackled, pawing at James' shoulder as he moved away. "Bat ears? Toenails? I have every need for homemade remedies—"

"We're not interested," Sirius told her bluntly, and he bumped the witch with his shoulder as he passed. Staring unblinkingly at the two boys as they kept walking, the witch hummed to herself until finally turning away. Shivering, James cast a glance over his shoulder at Sirius.

"We don't have to go in any of the stores, right?" he inquired. "Mundungus would likely be out in the open, wouldn't he?"

Shrugging, Sirius looked into one of the nearby windows. "If you don't want to go in any of the buildings, that's okay. You can just say so."

Stiffening, James narrowed his eyes. "I'm not scared," he protested, but he suddenly halted as a nearby shop door opened and a stooped wizard walked out. Turning a red-tinged eye on the boys, the man mumbled something under his breath before stepping back into the store, having tacked a small sign to the door.

"Let's go in here," James spoke up, moving forward before he could change his mind, and he pulled the shop door open again. Glancing down, he read the sign while Sirius walked after him: _Shipments now withheld until the new year_.

Dimly lit and dusty, the interior of the store smelled like rotting wood and moth balls, but James was far too taken in by the objects around the room to let the odor bother him. Almost every inch of the shop was covered in merchandise; leering masks lined the walls, and several sheets of overhead netting held discarded glass balls and pewter pans. The walls were partially hidden by rows of bookcases and scattered shelves, which held items like a pair of bleeding books and several bottles full of staring eyes.

Only a few steps inside, James and Sirius were stopped by the harsh voice of the storeowner. "We don't see children," the stooped man snapped, apparently less than pleased that they had followed him inside.

"We're not here to buy anything," James told him, but he regretted his words when the oily-haired wizard scowled even more deeply.

"Then you have no business coming into my—"

"Do you know a Mundungus Fletcher?" Sirius interrupted, and the man narrowed his eyes.

"A Fletcher doesn't operate here," he replied, pointing towards the door. "Didn't you read the plaque? This is Borgin and Burkes, not Fletcher and Sons. Now if you two don't have anything better to do than pester me about people that I haven't even heard of, I'd suggest that you—"

Stepping forward before Sirius could respond, James slammed down a handful of Sickles onto the counter, stopping the wizard mid-sentence. Nodding at James, Sirius grunted his approval while the oily wizard's mouth twitched. After another moment, the man scooped the coins into his waiting palm and gave the boys a closer look.

"What do you want?" he inquired, still speaking rather shortly.

"Are you Borgin or Burkes?" James asked first, deciding that he would try a softer approach.

"Borgin."

"All right, Mr. Borgin," James continued, "where did you last see Mundungus?"

"He was in here about two months ago," the wizard replied vaguely, and Sirius stepped forward.

"Does he come here often?" he demanded, and the shop-owner merely wrinkled his nose.

"Often enough for me to recall him, obviously," he responded, and James cut in before Sirius could say anything else.

"We don't want to waste any of your time, sir. If you'd just tell us where to find Mundungus, we'll be out of your store before you can spot us leave."

"I don't know where he is," Borgin replied waspishly. "Do you think that I'm one to engage in small talk?"

Thinking that Borgin had made his point, James stood back as Sirius spoke up. "But you must know which stores he visits while in Knockturn Alley."

Sneering, Borgin shook his oily head. "That worm of a man sneaks about in the back alleys wherever he goes. You're not likely to find him anywhere respectable."

"And yet he comes in here," Sirius muttered under his breath, and Borgin snarled at him.

"Where exactly are your parents?" he hissed, looking as if he might shove the both of them out the door. "I can't imagine that you're here with consent. Why don't you go back home? I can't help you any more than I already have."

Afraid that they had gone too far, James was about to grab Sirius and back out of the shop when his friend puffed out his chest and crossed his arms. "My parents are Orion and Walburga Black, direct descendants of Phineas Nigellus Black, late Headmaster of Hogwarts and member of the Wizengamot. As Sirius Cynosura Black III, I suggest that you give us the information we need. My parents won't be too pleased to hear that your hospitality was lacking."

Although Borgin gave Sirius a long, piercing look, he slowly executed a small bow. "My apologies," he wheezed, almost choking on the frog in his throat, and he glanced up at James with narrowed eyes. "And who do I have the pleasure of serving with young Mr. Black?"

"Er, I'm James Potter," James answered, glancing quickly at Sirius. "Son of Fleamont and Euphemia Potter, and descendant of . . . er . . . Hardwin and Henry Potter. Wizengamot. At least, the last one was."

After giving James a hard stare, Borgin turned to Sirius and nodded once. "What can I answer for you, Mr. Black?"

"Was Mundungus in here looking for Mandrake leaves?" Sirius replied immediately.

"This isn't an apothecary," the storeowner replied, failing to hold back an annoyed sigh.

"Then what was he here for?" Sirius demanded.

Shaking his head, Borgin began, "I don't recall the precise reason for—"

"Then bring out your ledger," Sirius interrupted. Pressing his lips together, Borgin glared at him.

"It's hardly your place to see my store's history," he hissed.

"If it makes any difference, my parents weren't too pleased with their last trip here," Sirius interjected, his arms still held over his chest. "If I spoke with them, I think that I could end all future purchases."

Remembering how unfamiliar Sirius had seemed with Borgin and Burkes just a few moments before, James wondered if his friend was bluffing. Fortunately, Borgin seemed to believe his words, and he scuttled towards the back room with a sudden pop of his eyes.

"I'll be right out with the accounts," he apologized, quickly disappearing from view. When he had left, a heavy silence settled over the room, and James glanced at Sirius to see his friend staring at the floor.

"I hate doing that," Sirius muttered in response to James' look. "Milking my family name just to scare people. It's sick how quickly everyone starts to grovel."

Not sure of how to respond, James remained silent until Borgin reappeared through the back door, now accessorized with a pair of pince-nez as he rifled through the pages of a heavy book. Hunched even more dramatically than usual, the wizard smacked his lips as his racing fingers came to a stop. "Here it is! Yes, now I remember: Mundungus stopped to try and sell me a few trifles. Nothing of importance, really."

"Let's see it," Sirius spoke, beckoning for the book as Borgin held it back up to his chest. Sighing, Borgin relented and set the journal down on the counter with a thud, and the boys leaned forward to read the scrawly handwriting.

"Bottles of unknown contents?" James read, glancing up at Borgin.

"Always a nice addition to a curiosities shop," the wizard told him, nodding at a bookshelf on the far wall, which was stacked to the top with bubbling bottles. "You'll see the very vials there."

Catching sight of a sickly yellow liquid almost like pus, James repressed a shudder and turned back to the ledger. As he started to skim the contents again, Sirius straightened with a sharp look at Borgin.

"It says here that Mundungus purchased an enchanted cauldron from you. You didn't mention that before."

Glancing down at his handwriting, Borgin shrugged. "Must have missed that."

"Why would he need an enchanted cauldron?" James thought out loud, facing Sirius.

"Maybe he needed to make a specific sort of potion," Sirius guessed. Turning to Borgin, he inquired, "What are cauldrons usually enchanted for?"

"All cauldrons have basic enchantments to stop magical ingredients from reacting unpleasantly," the shopkeeper answered in a tone of voice that seemed to suggest the boys' unintelligence. "But any cauldrons that pass through my store have very . . . _special_ uses. Normally, they can hold much stronger potions, even those of toxic value. Or, conversely, they can be designed to hide their contents from the simple passerby."

"What sort of cauldron did you give to Mundungus?" James demanded.

"Just a standard Self-Thinking Cauldron," Borgin replied after a pause.

"Self-Thinking?" Sirius prodded.

"They have a sort of mind of their own," the oily-haired man responded. "I assumed that Mundungus, being a notorious cheapskate and talentless wizard, needed a cauldron to do most of the magic for him. But I really can't tell you any more than that."

"That's all right," James spoke more to himself than to Borgin, leaning back with a sigh. "You've done enough."

Borgin looked as if he wanted to agree most heartily, but he only gave the boys another small bow of his head as they walked towards the door. "A warm greeting to your parents, Mr. Black," he spoke, and James thought that he heard the slightest hint of malice behind his voice before the door shut him out.

While James and Sirius continued to mull over Mundungus' vanishment and what to do about their quest to become Animagi, Potter Cottage took on a more festive atmosphere. James' mother dressed up the terrace in winding holly branches, and the traditional sleepy Puffskein was suspended on the front door in the center of the wreath. Late on Christmas Eve, Winthrop caused a mild panic when he nearly opened the door to greet a group of Muggle carolers, and the Potters barely managed to save the Muggles' hysteria with a confused cacophony of yelling and banging behind the door. When James' father finally threw open the door to welcome their neighbors with a breathless smile, the carolers did not seem too intent on staying and only sang through one song, refusing offers of treacle fudge and hot tea.

Although a bit shaken after the incident, Winthrop did not relax his tightly-wound demeanor to allow James and Sirius up past midnight, and after a few minutes of their protesting, he eventually waddled out of the former's bedroom with the window closed and the lights extinguished. Rolling over to face the wall, James felt his weary eyelids sliding shut as a yawn broke the silence from behind him.

"James?" Sirius asked blearily, making great effort to keep his voice above a whisper. "I was thinking . . . when we get back to school, we should start Transfiguring ourselves, even without the potion. We can't put it off any longer."

"Yeah, we'll do that," James mumbled back, but Sirius' accompanying snore was the last thing that he remembered before falling into a deep sleep. "When we get back . . ."

In the morning, James started awake to the warbled singing of his mother, who was trying to coax her husband awake with a folksong. Hearing a series of muffled objections, James unwrapped himself from his bedsheets as Sirius did the same from the other side of the room, evidently too excited to mutter his usual string of morning-time obscenities.

Halfway down the stairs, the boys ran into James' parents and greeted them with exuberant greetings, although they only received a half-hearted nod from James' father. Winthrop tramped out into the parlor moments after the boys had settled themselves under the tree, offering each of his masters a gift. He even presented Sirius with a heavy sack of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, which Sirius put down next to his other packages with a small nod at the house-elf.

After disappearing into the adjoining room, Winthrop soon reappeared with four mugs of apple cider, and James' parents sipped theirs while James and Sirius finished unwrapping their gifts. Before Sirius could turn and thank the Potters again for his trick wand from Zonko's Joke Shop, James' father lifted his hand and spoke.

"We have one last surprise waiting for you," he announced, and Sirius brightened.

"You do?"

Remembering the motorbike, James shared a smile with his father, but his mother surprised him by saying, "You too, James."

"Really?" James asked. "What is it?"

"Follow us and see," his father answered, and the boys scrambled to their feet as the wizard stood from the sofa.

Following the adults outside into the snow, James and Sirius kept close at their heels as they approached the old shed in the backyard. When James' father reached the chipped door of the shed, he turned around and shook a finger at the boys.

"Don't look! I've still got to bring it out!"

Facing the other direction when their pleading faces did no good, James and Sirius listened to the sound of the shed door opening and footsteps on a squeaky wood floor. Shifting his weight between his feet, Sirius tried to sneak a glance over his shoulder as a rumbling noise sounded from behind them, but James hit the side of his head just in time. After a few more moments, the sound of rolling subsided as the snow muffled it, and James' mother called for the boys.

"All right, you can—"

Before she had time to finish her sentence, Sirius had spun around and uttered a sort of strangled squeak, frozen at the sight of the gleaming motorbike parked on the lawn. His face had gone pale, and James thought that only a powerful sort of invisible rope was holding him back from lunging at the bike.

"Is that for me?" Sirius finally exclaimed, and James' parents began to laugh at his elation.

"It sure is!" James' father chuckled. "It's sort of a late birthday present that I've been working on for a few months. I heard from James that you enjoy Muggle Studies, and I couldn't think of a better gift for you! Muggles usually don't start driving until they're older, but I figured that we could keep it at our house until you're of age. Unless, of course," he added, rubbing his hairless forehead, "you wanted to take it back to Grimmauld Place, but I didn't think that your family would react well to a present from us."

Not daring to blink, Sirius continued to stare at the motorbike until James' father finally took his hand from his head and laughed. "Are you waiting for it to sprout wings and fly? Go ahead! Try it out!"

As if snapping awake, Sirius vaulted forward and ran his hands over the handlebars before leaping onto the seat. Grinning like a small child, he kicked up the engine, and a thundering roar soon sputtered from the exhaust pipe. Waving away the cloud of smoke that arose as a result, James coughed before Sirius quelled the noise a few moments later.

"Is it a four-stroke engine?" Sirius asked James' father, glancing between his legs. "A one-cylinder? How much horsepower does it have?"

Smiling sheepishly, James' father started rubbing his scalp again. "To be perfectly honest, I don't have any idea."

Still grinning, Sirius leapt off of the motorbike and launched himself into the older wizard's arms. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! This is the best present ever!"

"Careful! My ribs might crack!" James' father laughed before his wife turned to James.

"We have something for you, too—a sort of add-on to Sirius' gift."

"What is it?" James demanded, and his father broke free of Sirius long enough to duck into the shed and pull out what looked like a large, metal bowl.

"This is the motorbike's sidecar!" James' father explained, giving the ungainly contraption a clanging pat. "With this, you can both ride at the same time!"

Feeling his face fall, James racked his brain for something to say as Sirius started chuckling. "Er, that's great!" James thanked his father, scratching the back of his neck as he eyed the sidecar. "But I think that we'll both fit on the motorbike for at least a few years, right, Sirius?" he asked his friend, who was trying to hide his laughter behind his hand and was temporarily incapable of answering.

"Why don't you attach the sidecar and see how it fits?" James' father suggested, pushing the sidecar to the bike with a beam.

James, not knowing how to refuse, itched the back of his head as he tried to think of an answer, but he was suddenly saved the trouble when the back door of the house burst open to reveal Winthrop. Turning, Sirius and the Potters stared at the house-elf's tiny form as he panted.

"There's a couple at the door, Master Fleamont," Winthrop spoke. "Winthrop tried to explain that the Masters were on holiday, but the visitors insisted on coming in. They claim to be here for—"

Pushed aside suddenly, Winthrop stumbled away as the imposing form of Mrs. Black swept into the garden, her husband following just behind her. James' mother let a cry escape her lips at the interruption, but Mrs. Black did not allow the Potters to speak as she raised a hand and pointed at Sirius.

"We've come for him!" she snapped at the Potters, continuing her rapid pace through the grass. She was clothed in what James guessed to be one of her finer dresses, a black v-neck laced with gold thread and pearls, and the sight of her marching so purposefully in such an outfit seemed to go against what James had ever thought of her. Matching her in color, Mr. Black was in impeccably ironed dress robes, looking as if the two of them had just Apparated from a Christmas dinner. Glancing down, James saw that he was still in his nightclothes, and he tried to keep his face from turning hot as the Blacks stopped in front of Sirius.

"I don't understand!" James' father spoke, glancing between the Black parents. "I thought that you agreed to Sirius spending the holidays with us!"

"What we agreed to or not is entirely out of your knowledge or control," Mrs. Black snapped, her eyes flashing as she jabbed a finger at Sirius again, "but _this one_ has been sneaking about in places he shouldn't have been. I thought that you would have at least been able to keep him on a closer rein, but I have sorely underestimated your character, an act I had thought impossible before now."

Exchanging a look, James' parents could not seem to form a response, and Mrs. Black raised her eyebrow. "You _do_ know what I'm talking about. Surely you didn't send Sirius and your son to Knockturn Alley with _permission_, did you?"

Feeling his heart fall as his parents looked at each other again, James stammered, "Then . . . then you . . ."

Snapping her sharp gaze upon him, Mrs. Black thundered, "Then I knew? I only wish that the owner of that filthy little pawnshop had contacted us sooner! Anyone would have been able to tell that you were up to no good!"

"You're to return with us," Mr. Black told Sirius, the strange detachment in his voice balancing Mrs. Black's volcanic exclamations. "You will spend the rest of the holidays at home."

"But you can't just take him away!" James' mother protested. "It's Christmas!"

"Yes, even if Sirius did go somewhere he wasn't allowed, that's hardly a reason to send him home!" James' father added.

Straightening, Mrs. Black glared down at James' parents. "He's coming with us! You can't keep him here!"

"You can't make me go!" Sirius objected, but Mrs. Black snapped her steely gaze on him.

"_Yes_, _we can!_" she snarled, sitting on each word, and Sirius turned to the Potters for help. After another shared glance, James' parents grew downcast.

"I don't think it can be helped," James' father apologized to Sirius with another look at the Blacks. As Sirius shrank, James jumped forward and stood in front of him.

"He can't go now! We still have a week before school starts!"

"Get out of the way!" Mrs. Black hissed at him, but James held his ground and stared at his parents. Shaking his head, his father motioned for him to step away.

"There's nothing we can do, James," he said. "He's their son."

Ever so slowly, James felt his feet step to the side against his will, but he caught a small nod from Sirius when he looked his way. As Sirius trudged to his parents' sides, Mrs. Black swept her eyes across the yard and eyed the motorbike where it was partially hidden behind the Potters.

"What is _that_?" she spat, and James' parents started.

"Er, that's a motorbike," James' father answered, rubbing his scalp.

Curling her lip, Mrs. Black looked down at Sirius. "I hope you didn't so much as touch that thing," she threatened, and Sirius looked at the ground.

"We'll talk at home," Mr. Black told Sirius before tilting his chin ever so slightly at the Potters. "Don't try to send an owl. Our son's being punished."

Turning away, he and Mrs. Black strode back towards Potter Cottage with Sirius trailing along behind them. Having righted himself after the Blacks' sudden introduction, Winthrop stood aside as the family strode back into the house in single-file. Throwing James one last glance before he disappeared, Sirius halted for as long as his mother allowed before she pulled him inside and slammed the door.

Left alone, the Potters stood still for a few moments until James' mother finally broke the silence with a sigh. "Oh, I do hope that they let poor Sirius grab his things. James, run up to your room and check, will you?"

Although suspecting that she was just trying to get rid of him, James hiked back up to Potter Cottage and looked over his shoulder, watching as his parents begin to push the motorbike back into the shed. After passing Winthrop without a word, he ran up to his room and discovered a few of Sirius' belongings still lying on the extra bed, although Sirius' wand and suitcase were missing. Realizing that he would have to return the rest of the items upon his arrival at Hogwarts, James collapsed on his bed and stared up at the ceiling, trying to imagine the conversation going on below. Most likely, his parents were trying to devise a way to talk some sense into the Blacks, but he doubted that Sirius' parents would respond to any attempts of negotiation.

By the end of Christmas Day, James' parents seemed to have forgotten all about the Blacks' accusations about James' and Sirius' visit to Knockturn Alley, and James did not bring it up. He supposed that he could always lie and say that they had gotten lost, but he was grateful that he never had to use the excuse. Instead, the rest of break passed by uneventfully after Sirius' departure, and James could barely contain himself as he waited for the return to King's Cross Station.

When the day finally came, he burst onto Platform Nine and Three-Quarters looking for Sirius, almost losing his parents in his frenzy. However, it was not Sirius, but the Lupins and Pettigrews who he spotted first, and he allowed his parents enough time to catch up as he stopped and waved.

"Hi, James!" Peter greeted, skipping up to him. When James responded only with a nod, he glanced around and frowned. "Where's Sirius?"

"He had to go home," James explained, looking down. "His parents showed up and dragged him back to Grimmauld Place."

"That's too bad," Peter responded, which James thought a rather understated reaction. "Will he be meeting us here?"

Before James could respond, a couple of students on the platform were violently shoved apart, and Sirius dashed out of the opening and stopped by his roommates' sides. Feeling himself relax, James smiled when he saw that Sirius was wearing a wide grin.

"There you are!" Sirius exclaimed as he skidded to a stop. "I escaped as soon as we got to the station!"

"What happened when you left?" James interrogated.

"Oh, I'm fine," Sirius dismissed, brushing his question aside. "My mum yelled at me a bit and wouldn't let me leave the house for a week, but at least I'm here now! Miss me?" he asked James with a smirk.

James gave him a searching frown, and Sirius dropped his upbeat tone for a moment to hiss at him. "I'm _fine_, James," he insisted before turning to the others with a grin. "Hey, guess what Mr. Potter got me for Christmas! He gave me an actual Muggle motorbike!"

"Whoa, really?" Peter gasped.

"It has a kickstart and this huge headlight!" Sirius bragged, spreading his hands apart. "It even comes with a sidecar, right, James?" he added, elbowing his friend before puffing out his chest. "Mr. Potter says that I can ride it for real when I turn seventeen, and I already know how to work most of it from _The Muggle World of Motion_!"

"That's wicked!" Peter exclaimed, but Remus simply nodded. James noticed that he was staring at the ground, but he looked up a moment later when Sirius stopped talking to frown at him.

"That's great, Sirius. It sounds like fun." Even Peter pursed his lips at his unconvincing tone, but Remus' suitcase gave a shudder before any of the others could speak. Sighing, Remus requested, "Hold on: I need to make sure that Mussmug doesn't escape before we board. I'll just be a moment."

Stepping to the side, he dragged his suitcase away from the others and crouched next to it, fiddling with the locks as his friends shared a glance. Behind them, Remus' parents were talking with the other adults, and James ran up to pull Mr. Lupin aside.

"Excuse me!" James urged, and Mr. Lupin looked down at him when they had drawn away from the others. Glancing back at Remus where he was hunkered over his suitcase, James interrogated, "What's wrong with Remus?"

Following James' gaze, Mr. Lupin pressed his lips together. "Oh, he'll be all right. He's just upset over an article in _The Daily Prophet_."

"Was there another werewolf attack?" James questioned, suddenly serious, and Mr. Lupin gave him a small smile.

"Well, aren't you on top of things?" he said, attempting to lighten the mood, but he shook his head as James stared up at him. "It's bound to trouble him. Just give him a bit of time, and he'll be back to his usual, cheery self."

"But he knows that the werewolves can't be working for Lord Voldemort," James stated, and Mr. Lupin jumped a bit. "It's just bad luck that they're breaking out. It has nothing to do with the Death Eaters."

Looking over both of his shoulders, Mr. Lupin gestured for James to keep his voice low as he put a hand on his shoulder. "Er, let's not talk about this now. We wouldn't want the others to overhear."

"Why not?" James asked, blinking. "It's the truth, isn't it? Why shouldn't they know?"

Leaning even further in, Mr. Lupin answered, "We don't want them to grow suspicious, do we? And besides, Remus shouldn't get his hopes up. None of us know the full story." When James only stared at him, he continued, "Listen, James, I know you mean well, but there are other factors that need to be taken into account before jumping to any conclu—"

Cutting him off, a shrill train whistle signaled the time for boarding, and Mrs. Pettigrew slapped Peter on the back with her voice at a near-shout. "Get going now, lad! You'll miss the train at this rate!"

Breaking away from the adults, Sirius and Peter waved goodbye as Remus finished with his suitcase and scrambled to his feet. Straightening, Mr. Lupin released James, but not before he whispered a final parting under his breath. "James, do me a favor and don't tell Remus about our talk, okay?"

Although he nodded, James felt his mind race as he turned around. Wondering why Mr. Lupin had made such a request, he nevertheless grinned back at his roommates when they beckoned to him, and he thought no more of it as they climbed aboard the Hogwarts Express.


	12. The Meeting in the Hog's Head

**The Meeting in the Hog's Head**

Once back at Hogwarts, James returned to his regular Quidditch practices with the rest of the Gryffindor team. Ever after their mid-match brawl, Kennedy avoided talking to James whenever possible. This suited James just fine, and he likewise kept to himself while out on the field. At the very least, their fight had seemed to purge Kennedy of the majority of his "helpful" remarks, and practices became much more enjoyable with the newfound quiet.

And with the approach of the weekend trip to Hogsmeade, James had an even more pressing reason to make sure that the practices went smoothly. He feared that King might forbid the team from enjoying the break if they did not shape up in time for their second match. James did not relish the prospect of letting Sirius and Peter search for Mundungus on their own, mostly because he wanted to tell off the squat-legged traitor himself.

Fortunately, at the conclusion of Gryffindor's final practice before the weekend, King only wished his teammates a relaxing day in Hogsmeade before dismissing them. Skipping all the way back to the castle, James met Sirius and Peter in their dormitory, Remus being gone during the full moon, and he stopped short at their reddened faces.

"What's the matter with you two?" James asked as Sirius crossed his arms and glared at Peter. Afraid that Sirius might lunge at the smaller boy, James stepped forward and held out his arm. "What's gotten into you?"

"Peter's being a pansy," Sirius spat, and Peter flushed.

"I just don't see why we can't wait to take the Animagus Potion," Peter whined, pointing at the open book on Sirius' four-poster. "_Animagi in the Making_ says that the potion will turn us into animals straight away, so why do we have to do anything now?"

"It's to help us get ready for the potion," James explained. "It's too dangerous to just take it without preparing for the Transfiguration. We might get stuck with an irreversible tail, or worse."

"But we don't even have a place to practice!" Peter insisted. "Remus is only gone for the weekend, and we can't Transfigure ourselves while he's here!"

"There are plenty of rooms in the castle," Sirius shot back.

"But a professor might walk in at any moment!" Peter continued. "And don't forget about Mrs. Norris. I think that she can smell trouble."

"We can practice in the Shrieking Shack," Sirius argued. "We know how to get there, and it's empty most of the month."

"But—"

"Just stop arguing, Peter, you're giving me a headache!" Sirius exploded again. "Do you have to fight this every step of the way?"

Although Peter hung his head, he turned a scowl on the floor as Sirius stalked away. Mulling over the conversation, James kept his thoughts to himself. None of the three had actually joined Remus down the tunnel beneath the Whomping Willow before, so they had no way of knowing if there were extra obstacles to get through before reaching the Shrieking Shack. Any passwords or booby-traps would force them to turn back, and they could not risk consulting Remus beforehand. As much as James hesitated to admit it, Peter was probably right; they would have to settle for a room in the castle, but which one? Nowhere that James could think of would ensure them complete privacy.

Opting to wrestle with the decision later, James forgot about the issue while he, Sirius, and Peter ambled down the road leading towards Hogsmeade that weekend. As Sirius had predicted, the town had begun to pull out pink streamers and heart-shaped balloons to celebrate the approach of Valentine's Day, hoping to attract the Hogwarts students to the local cafés. With the snow still not fully melted off the buildings' rooftops, the main street looked almost comical with the dozens of winged, diaper-clad cherubs flapping above the passersby, shivering as they searched for a target to hit with their arrows. A passing third-year jumped as a drop of water from the melting snow splashed on her nose from overhead, and she glanced nervously up at the cherubs dancing on the rooftop of the Three Broomsticks as James and his roommates entered the inn.

"Hello, Rosmerta!" Sirius called out with a wave at the curvy bartender, who flashed a smile when she saw who was speaking.

Glancing to the side, James felt his heart jump to his throat; Lily and Alice were sitting together on two of the barstools in front of the counter. Flashing a hand to his hair, James rubbed it back and found that it would not stay down. Thankfully, the girls had not noticed him yet, and he pushed his hand the other way to mess it up even more.

"Well, if it isn't Sirius Black and his mates!" Madam Rosmerta greeted, and Lily finally looked James' way as the bartender leaned over the counter with a beam. "What can I get you three today?"

"We're not actually here for the drinks, even though we'd love to stay and chat," Sirius answered, propping one leg up on Alice's barstool and shoving her a bit. "Move aside, will you, Newshod?"

Nearly falling off of her stool, Alice gave Sirius enough room to hoist himself up. Shooting a glare at Sirius, Lily set down her butterbeer. "Find your own seat, Black."

"You know what they say about inns, Evans," Sirius told Lily, giving her a wry look. "No room." Turning back to Rosmerta, he said, "I was hoping that you could tell us where to find a certain Mundungus Fletcher." When Madam Rosmerta and the other girls frowned, Sirius lifted his hand from the ground and described, "He's about this tall, messy red hair, smells like old tobacco."

"I can't say that I've seen him around," Rosmerta responded, shaking her head. "I'm sorry."

"Is there anyone who might have seen him?" James questioned, leaning in.

Lifting a hand to her chin, Madam Rosmerta suggested, "You might try Junckleberg's down the street. Lots of people stop there for a small bite to eat, although the man you described sounds like he'd keep to less . . . reputable parts of town. There's always the Hog's Head Inn, if you aren't averse to the grime."

Grimacing, Peter gave a shudder, and Alice raised her head to peer at the boys. "Why are you looking for this Fletcher, exactly?" she asked.

"We thought that he might be able to supply us a potion," James replied truthfully.

"A potion for what?"

"To keep people from asking unwanted questions," he answered. Flushing, Alice clapped her mouth shut as Madam Rosmerta laughed.

"Well, the Hog's Head is my best suggestion," Rosmerta repeated, and Sirius slid off of Alice's stool with a nod.

"Is there anything we can get you while we're out?" James offered to the girls before his roommates could take more than a few steps towards the door. "A love potion, perhaps? Chocolates?"

"I'll take a copy of whatever it is that you're purchasing, Potter," Lily spoke up, and James took advantage of his excuse to meet her bright green eyes. "You know, the potion to stop unwanted questions."

Turning a beam on Lily, Alice giggled slightly as James grinned. "I can do even better than that and get you a trip to Madam Puddifoot's."

"We have things to do, mate," Sirius sighed, nudging James' elbow, but Lily and Alice had frozen with their mouths slightly ajar.

"Did I hear you correctly, Potter?" Lily questioned.

"Not unless you were using the Ear-Block Charm, I presume," James replied, shrugging.

"Are you trying to fake me out?"

"No, I'm trying to _take_ you out," James clarified. "There's a considerable difference."

At his revelation, Alice gasped while Lily's face went white; behind the bar, Madam Rosmerta watched the children in poorly-concealed interest. "You've gone mental!" Lily exclaimed. "What makes you think that I would ever want to go out with you?"

Although he had somewhat expected this reaction, James nevertheless kept a smile on his face as Sirius pulled on his sleeve. "Come on, James, let's get going!"

"The offer still stands, Evans!" James announced as he stumbled after Sirius. "Think about it!"

"Buzz off, Potter!" Lily snapped back just as the door closed on her.

Turning away from the door with a smile, James opened his mouth to crack a joke to his roommates, but he nearly ran into someone standing just to the right. Recovering himself when the other person did not move, he scowled down at the student and felt his annoyance heighten when he realized that it was Snape.

"What are you doing here, Snape?" James growled. Frozen stiff as if he had been hit with a Full Body-Bind Curse, Snape merely turned his head from James to the window that he had been standing in front of. Noticing how close to the door Snape had been standing, James realized with a prickling on the back of his neck that he might have been listening in from outside.

"Were you eavesdropping?" James demanded, crossing his arms. Facing him again, Snape glared at him.

"What makes you think that?" he asked.

"Why else would you be skulking around the outside of the Three Broomsticks?" James accused. "If you wanted to go in, just go in! No one's stopping you!"

As James started to stomp away, Snape reached out and grabbed his arm. Throwing him off, James was about to hex him for touching him, but Snape spoke before he could take out his wand.

"What were you doing in there?"

"None of your business, that's what," James replied shortly, but Snape moved out to stop him again, strangely persistent despite the presence of Sirius and Peter.

"I saw you bothering those students," Snape said, pointing through the window.

"Since when did you care about Gryffindors?" James shot back before he could continue, but he felt something churn in the pit of his stomach when Snape's eyes shot to the window again. All of a sudden, James was not sure that he wanted to know why Snape was standing there, but he pressed on anyway. "Do you have anything better to do than follow us around, looking for a way to get us into trouble?"

Clenching his fists at his sides, Snape hissed, "For your information, I just happened to be passing by when I saw you throwing your weight around. I wasn't following anybody!"

"That's the biggest lie I've ever heard!" Sirius spoke, stepping beside James. "He was definitely following someone! Just look at his face!"

Obliging despite the bubbling in his gut, James saw something like a dark cloud pass over Snape's face as if the boy was trying very hard not to turn red. Feeling as if the roaring blood in his ears might suddenly rush out, James steeled his jaw.

"Look here, Snivellus," he shot, stepping forward and jabbing a finger into Snape's chest, "if I ever catch you following us again, I'll make you vomit slugs like last time." As Snape stumbled back, James glared at him meaningfully. "Just stay away from our House, do you hear?"

Hoping that Snape caught the glint behind his eyes, James spun around and stalked off with Sirius and Peter, who both slumped when they saw that a fight would not break out. After a few moments, however, Sirius seemed to remember their mission and turned to Peter.

"So, where exactly is this Hog's Head?"

Peter's face fell, but he started leading the others down the main street of Hogsmeade at Sirius' bidding. Ignoring the pink-splattered shops, the trio continued forward until Peter took a sharp turn, entering one of the many streets that branched off from the center of town. Just when the street came to a dead end, Peter halted in front of a dirty, ill-kept building with a sign that pictured a severed boar's head bleeding out on a white cloth.

Turning, Peter pursed his lips. "Do we _have_ to go inside?"

"Well, we can't very well see what's inside through those dirt-caked windows!" Sirius exclaimed, gesturing at the pub. "We have to go in, don't we?"

Grimacing, Peter turned and followed his roommates up the front steps and through the door, which opened to reveal a cramped room with a few roughly-hewn tables. Immediately, James' nose caught the dank scent of ale combined with sweat, and he squinted through the dark of the pub to take in the people situated around it. A lone warlock sat smoking a slender pipe near the back, contributing to the foul odor, and the long-haired barkeep eyed the three students from behind the counter. Wiping a grease-stained glass with his equally grubby apron, the wizard merely shook his head after a moment and turned away from his newest customers.

Taking a few steps into the room, James glanced down at his feet to see the disturbed dust rising to his knees, now admiring how the snow-draped landscape outside was far cleaner than the interior of the Hog's Head Inn. Scattered about the sparse tabletops, the room's few occupants gave the boys sideways glances as they knocked the snow off of their shoes.

"Do you think that we should buy anything?" James questioned the others out of the corner of his mouth, peering at the rows of strange elixirs behind the counter.

"I don't think he'll mind if we don't," Sirius whispered back, nodding discreetly at the gray-bearded bartender. James imagined that the wizard was still ignoring the boys, though he would not be able to tell otherwise due to the barkeep's filthy spectacles, which matched the state of the pub's windows.

Beckoning the others forward, Sirius slunk towards the opposite end of the room, taking far longer than necessary to peer at the patrons' faces. Most of the customers did not shy away from the boys' inspections, too busy staring back to care if they were identified. Swallowing at their unblinking gazes, Peter hid his face behind James as the three boys approached the far end of the single room, and James began to wonder which one of the patrons they should ask for information about Mundungus. Among their options was the smoking warlock, a wizened old lady that looked suspiciously like a hag, a pair of cloak-shrouded goblins with their backs to the boys, and a sandy-haired wizard with a Bowtruckle on his shoulder. None of them seemed terribly approachable, and James suspected that they might hex him and his friends before they could even get out their question.

Slowing down, James stared at one of the goblins as he turned and eyed them with a near-scowl. His partner did not turn around even when the first huffed, and James narrowed his eyes as the hooded figure shuffled, exposing a lock of stringy red hair for a split second. Sirius saw it too, and he cried out triumphantly before spinning the so-called goblin around, causing his hood to slip off completely. Sputtering, Mundungus nearly fell to the floor as Sirius corrected his hold and grabbed the neck of the wizard's collar instead, holding him steady.

"Found you, you dirty sneak!" Sirius hissed. "It figures that you'd be hanging around a place like this!"

"Ah, Mr. Potter! Mr. Black!" Mundungus declared, smacking his lips as a trail of sweat worked its way down his forehead. "Let's not be too hasty—"

"Why didn't you show up?" Sirius interrupted, shaking him. "Why didn't you contact us? Were you too afraid to show your face after stabbing us in the back?"

Wide-eyed, Mundungus gulped as his goblin partner pushed off from the table and set his stubby legs onto the ground, significantly shorter now that he had left his chair. "I see that you have some personal business to take care of, Fletcher. I'll leave this until later."

"You didn't give our supplies to him, did you?" Sirius spoke to Mundungus, stopping the goblin with his foot and glaring down at him.

"No, no, you misunderstand completely!" Mundungus insisted, raising his hands as the goblin huffed again. "I hadn't even started talking with him when you showed up!"

"And I don't suspect that you will anytime soon," the goblin commented, pulling up his collar with a sniff before he headed for the door.

Pulling his foot aside, Sirius let him go with one last look and concentrated his energy on shoving Mundungus to the far wall. A few of the other patrons gave James and the others dark glances as the initial commotion ceased, although some of them fidgeted following the disruption; after a moment of squirming, the wizard with the Bowtruckle scooped up a briefcase at his feet and swept out of the door after the goblin. Behind the counter, the bartender turned his head after Mundungus as Sirius threw him onto a chair and seated himself across from him.

"Where are our Mandrake leaves, you traitor?" Sirius demanded as James and Peter sat themselves on either side of Mundungus.

"I told you, times have been hard!" the squat wizard pleaded. "You can't expect me to do the impossible!"

"You said that you'd have them by now!" Sirius growled, pounding his fist on the table with a low thump. Once again, the other customers gave the group passing glances as Mundungus jumped at the sound.

"I meant to give them to you back near a month ago! Honest, I did!" he insisted. "It wasn't my choice that—"

"So you did have them?" James interrupted, and Mundungus went pale as James and Sirius bristled.

"Now, I—"

"What did you do with them?" Sirius demanded.

"There—there was another buyer!" Mundungus stammered, shrinking under their fiery gazes. "He offered more money than you, and I thought that I could get more leaves in time for our meeting!"

"Who was he?" James interjected.

"He called himself Sibuna."

"Sibuna?" James asked.

"It was the only name he ever gave me," Mundungus answered, shrugging.

Staring him down, Sirius growled, "That's not much to go off of."

Breathing hard, Mundungus shook his head. "I don't know who he was, honest! I've never dealt with him before, but I wouldn't forget his face easily!"

"What did he look like?" James questioned.

"He was a big bloke with a brownish hair and beard," the squat man described, raising his hand as far above his head as it could reach. "Hid under a cloak, and snarled most of the time."

Frowning, James thought to himself as Sirius stood and loomed over Mundungus. "Why did he want the Mandrake leaves?"

"I don't know!" Mundungus replied hurriedly. "I don't usually ask my clients about their personal matters. Puts a rapid halt to business, usually." As Sirius sat back down with a grunt, Mundungus added, "If it helps at all, I also sold him an enchanted cauldron. Got it specially from a store near Diagon Alley."

"_Knockturn_ Alley, you mean," James corrected. "We know." After another moment, he thought of another question. "Do you know where Sibuna took the Mandrake leaves?"

"Took them?" Mundungus exclaimed, shocked. "Merlin, are you even listening? I don't even know what the fellow did with them! Do you think I know where he lives?"

Crossing his arms, James sat back and glared at Mundungus. "Well, it's still your job to get them back!"

"Get them back?" the man stuttered. "Now, I won't deny that it was a _large_ supply, but a wizard that desperate for material will have something very specific in mind for its use. In all reality, lads, it's probably much too late."

"Then when can you get more?" Sirius spoke up.

"Er, right," Mundungus gulped. "There are several factors that one needs to consider, and the market will be even harder to peruse now that it's already been—"

"If you can't get any more, then you have to take back what you gave to Sibuna," James interrupted. "We'll even help you track him down if it comes to it."

"But Mr. Potter," Mundungus tried, smiling his best despite the lack of several teeth, "it would be far too dangerous for a young lad like yourself to hunt down the likes that I deal with on a daily basis. Why, when I first met you," he said, nodding to Sirius as well, "I thought to myself what a fine pair of gentlemen you are!" Opening his mouth to continue, he frowned briefly at Peter, who had remained silent throughout the interaction. "And who's this again?"

"Peter Pettigrew," Peter replied, his voice cracking from the unexpected question.

"Well, that goes for him, too," Mundungus said, nodding to James. "It's not a wise thing to put yourselves at risk in the modern business world, not while you're so young and as impressionable as you are. Believe me when I say that there are unsavory characters about."

"Oh, I believe it, all right," Sirius muttered under his breath, and Mundungus shot him a scowl.

"At any rate, you can't expect to search for someone while you're at school!" he spat, turning to James as if to appeal to a more reasonable confidant. "I've been in this business for years, and you need to devote your full attention to tracking down a client who doesn't want to be found!"

"Then you'll do it for us," James responded.

"But Mr. Potter—"

"You're the one who sold off our ingredients for a higher bid!" James snapped. "You brought this on yourself!"

"But seeing as I trust you about as far as I can reach," Sirius added with a growl, "I say that we cast a Sniff-Out Spell to make sure you don't double-cross us again."

"Good idea," James agreed, nodding as Mundungus started. "If we can keep track of him from inside Hogwarts, we won't have to worry about him slipping away again."

"But the Sniff-Out Spell!" Mundungus gasped. "That's a highly complicated enchantment, and it's hardly necessary!"

"Yes, it is," Sirius interjected, and he procured his wand out of the view of the other tables. Making to sprint off, Mundungus froze halfway up from his chair as James and Peter rose to stop him, pulling out their wands as well. After a tense moment, Mundungus slowly sank back down into his seat and curled his lip at Sirius.

"I bet you can't even do it," he defied, but he squeezed his eyes shut as Sirius pointed his wand across the table.

"_Indago_ _Mundungus Fletcher_!" Sirius retorted, closing one eye in concentration.

Drawing a slight moan from Mundungus, a wispy, grayish light sunk into the squat wizard's chest and evaporated. For a few seconds, Mundungus' features went slack, but he cracked open a bloodshot eye a moment later to glare at the others.

"I stand corrected. You three are more bothersome than I first thought when you came barging in here."

"With this spell in effect, we'll know the exact moment you disobey an order that I give you," Sirius told him with a smirk, slipping his wand away. "And you won't like it when we do."

"What will happen to him?" Peter asked, eyes wide.

"When my wand starts buzzing, the same thing will happen to him," Sirius answered, nodding at Mundungus where he sat slouched in his chair. "It's not too convenient to go about your day when you're shaking as badly as Mussmug when Remus walks into the room."

"Not only that, but everyone else will know that he's a dishonest rat," James insulted. "The only way to stop it is to go through with the agreement."

Scoffing, Mundungus spat a wad of watery saliva onto the tavern's dirty floor. "Agreement? Ha! What sort of agreement is it if you have to set a spell on me?"

"Listen up," Sirius interjected, silencing Mundungus and folding his hands together. "We need you to track down Sibuna and get back our Mandrake leaves. As soon as you find them, you need to contact us."

"And how will I do that, exactly?" Mundungus pointed out sourly.

Reaching into his pocket, James produced his two-way mirror and placed it on the table. "Use this."

"Use that," Sirius echoed, pointing at the mirror with a grin aimed at James. When Mundungus picked it up with an inquisitive stare, Sirius added, "Don't lose it or sell it, either."

"How will we pick up the Mandrake leaves?" Peter asked the others.

"It's too bad that we can't Apparate," Sirius said after a moment's pause, thinking. "I'd rather pick it up instead of trusting Mundungus to deliver it again, anyway."

"Can't we use Side-Along Apparition with him?" Peter suggested.

"Can't," James said. "No one can Apparate in or out of Hogwarts." When his roommates turned to stare at him, he shrugged. "_Hogwarts: A History_."

"Well, that's just brilliant," Sirius sighed, slouching back into his chair. "It's not like we can use the Hogwarts Express at short notice."

"No," James spoke again, sitting upright as an idea suddenly struck him, "but we could use your motorbike!"

This time, even Mundungus turned to stare at him, spluttering out a response. "A _Muggle_ bike?"

"That's perfect!" Sirius praised, grinning once more, and he spun towards Mundungus. "We need you to bring my motorbike to Hogwarts."

"But—but how?" Mundungus gasped. "I can't exactly sneak an auto through the front gates without being noticed, can I?"

"Somehow I doubt that you have a problem with smuggling things around," James noted dryly.

"You'll find it in an outside shed at Potter Cottage, Godric's Hollow," Sirius informed Mundungus. "Find a way to get it onto the grounds during the night, and send us an owl the morning before."

"But it's impossible!" Mundungus protested. "I couldn't get through the front gate without being questioned!"

"Then don't use the gate," Sirius advised, a spark of annoyance in his voice.

"But how else would I get it in?"

Throwing his hands into the air, Sirius exclaimed, "How should I care? Make it fly!"

Glowering, Mundungus sat back as the bearded bartender and a few of the patrons glanced Sirius' way. Leaning forward, James tapped the wooden table to get Mundungus' attention, although he immediately regretted it when his fingers landed in an unidentified, gooey liquid.

"Do you have all of that?" James asked, rapidly wiping his hand on his robes. In answer, Mundungus simply harrumphed, sounding like Winthrop in the morning. "And I want you to remember that this is _my_ house you're getting the motorbike from," James added. "If you touch anything that isn't yours, I'll hex your fingers together."

"Do what he says," Sirius told Mundungus, nodding.

"I'll send an owl to my parents so that they'll let you in," James said. "Just tell them you're a relative of Sirius' come to keep the motorbike for him—and say that his parents don't know."

"It'll work," Sirius spoke, appraising Mundungus swiftly. "He's about as easy to like as the rest of my family."

Standing up, James and his roommates stared down at Mundungus. "Don't forget," Sirius commanded, tapping the side of his head, "bring the motorbike by the end of the week. And don't you dare tell anyone what we're doing. We'll be waiting for your owl."

"Of course," the squat wizard answered, his voice dripping with irony, and the boys turned and left him sitting alone near the back of the Hog's Head. On their way out, only the hag watched them leave, but James thought that he saw the bartender give Mundungus one last glance before Peter closed the door behind them.


	13. Motorbikes at Midnight

**Motorbikes at Midnight**

After Remus had returned, James and his other roommates began to scour the castle for a place to practice Self-Transfiguration. All of their favorite spots were out of the question, mainly for fear of Remus stumbling upon them, but also because of the popularity of their preferred retreats. The boys knew better than to practice on the grounds, but Sirius suggested sneaking into the Forbidden Forest at night if they had any more trouble finding a secluded area.

As of the week before Gryffindor's second Quidditch match, they had already tried the dungeons, the empty History of Magic classroom, and several scattered bathrooms throughout the castle. Unfortunately, no one place remained empty for long—save the History of Magic classroom, but James and the others were deterred from its use when they found Professor Binns snoring just inside of the abandoned fireplace. Following a close shave with a couple of Slytherin students on the dungeon level, Sirius suggested using the kitchens, and James almost agreed after remembering the resident house-elves' kindness. However, he eventually decided that it would be too big of a risk; welcoming though their friend Hokart and the other house-elves were, James could not trust all of them to keep quiet about the boys' illegal behavior, considering that the house-elves' loyalty was still tied to Headmaster Dumbledore and the rest of the staff.

Although they had to migrate for now, James, Sirius, and Peter kept practicing where they could. Their next meeting place was the large, airy room just outside of the kitchens, where they hoped to be undisturbed for at least an afternoon.

"Let's start with the Bestia Spell again," James announced to the others, who were standing in a circle with their wands out.

"_Amato Animo Animato Animagus!_" the three boys spoke in unison, and a trio of blue lights whisked around them before being directed to their chests. Peter's spell flickered unsteadily at the start, but it sank into his robes just the same as the others, and James nodded satisfactorily before lifting the heavy book _Animagi in the Making_. Holding it out at arm's length, James squinted at the condensed writing.

"It looks like we have to cast a series of preparatory spells on ourselves before attempting any actual Transfiguration," he said, looking up. "I also read in _Intermediate Transfiguration_ that signs of readiness will be gradual, so we might have to wait another week or so before knowing that it's safe to start Self-Transfiguration."

"Sounds fair enough to me," Sirius answered. "But if we don't find a better spot to practice by then, I say that we try the Forbidden Forest."

Nodding, James used the Levitation Charm on _Animagi in the Making_ to make it hang in midair so they could all read it. Pacing towards Sirius and Peter, who were now attempting spells on their own, he eyed their wand-work for a moment before reading an incantation from the book.

"_Para Mutatis!_" James commanded, and he stood still as a cloud of violet bubbles flew out of his wand and latched onto his hands, frothing gently as they slowly moved up his arms.

"Are you all right there, Peter?" James spoke, turning to his roommate.

"Er, yeah!" Peter chirruped back, fighting a gulp as he swung his wand about. "I'm sure that I'll get the hang of it!" A moment later, he gasped shrilly as a monstrous swarm of bubbles began to eat at his arms. In the meantime, Sirius had already applied the next few spells to himself in rapid succession, and James laughed as his friend stared at him through an alarmingly fast-growing coat of bubbles.

"I figured that if it was dangerous to try the spells before taking the Animagus Potion, we might as well get it all over with in one go," Sirius explained, his shrug nearly invisible beneath his rounded mass.

"Great idea!" James praised. "Ready to try it, Peter?"

Grunting, Peter did not look back at him as James closed his eyes and placed a handful of spells on himself. "_Studio Animagus, Emergo Bestia, Imito Fera, Emissius Nativus Innatus Animalis!_"

Whether or not his spells had any other effect, the bubbles creeping up his arms began to churn in earnest, and soon James had trouble seeing through them as they clambered up to his glasses. Having followed his lead, Peter let out a yelp as the bubbles on his body tripled, producing a quantity larger than James' and Sirius' put together. As Peter completely disappeared from James' view—a result of both Peter's sudden fall and James' obscured glasses—James wondered if this idea was a good one after all as he lost all sense of direction beneath the sudsy mixture.

Taking a step towards the sound of Peter's cry, he unexpectedly hit against Sirius, and they both tumbled downwards in a tangled web of purple spheres and body parts. Crying out over the voices of the others, James fought for freedom only to stand and slip again on the soapy floor of the cavern. Crawling away from Sirius, he somehow managed to tread on three different hands (one of them his own) until finally collapsing and gasping for breath. Unfortunately, all that he received was a mouthful of citrus-flavored bubbles, and he started coughing violently until he heard a throat clear itself from above.

Flipping onto his back, James was just able to make out a head of straw-like hair and a pale, freckly face through the violet bubbles. "Should I get someone?" the newcomer asked, and James gasped for air again.

"Yes!" he managed to cry, and he saw the back of their rescuer turn and jog out of the room.

Lying with his face pressed against the floor in defeat, James waited for the student to return while the bubbles continued to expand and pop around him. After what seemed like a lifetime, he heard the hurried clapping of feet against the stone floor, and he turned to peer again at Sirius and Peter as they wiped their bodies free of the evaporating bubbles. Shocked at the sight of soapy residue reaching all the way to the walls, James did not resist as a pair of strong arms grasped his torso and dragged him to his feet.

"What in Merlin's name went on in here?" Professor Aven asked as he put James down, staring over the room with the freckly student standing just behind him. Hoping to reach Sirius and Peter, Aven slowly stepped into the bubbles, which reached all the way up to his knee, but he slid unsteadily as soon as he tried to rest his weight on the ground. Lifting up his leg with a small hiss, he shook it and called out to Sirius and Peter.

"Er, you couldn't make it over to us, could you?" he requested. Slowly rising to his feet, Sirius stumbled out of the bubbly cloud, only falling once, but Peter slipped several more times before finally reaching safety.

When they lined up with James in front of Professor Aven, the spectacled professor stared at them. "What on earth happened?"

Sharing rapid glances, James and the others paused until James finally cleared his throat. "Er . . . we were dueling."

"Dueling?" Aven demanded, his mouth still hanging open.

"They were tossing my book about," James explained, casting a glance back at _Animagi in the Making_ where it was partially hidden beneath the tower of violet bubbles. Sighing to sell his act, James complained, "Aw, it's still in there!"

Seemingly frozen as he stared at the book, Professor Aven swayed in place until the freckled boy at his side drew his wand. "I'll get it, Professor," he offered, pointing his wand at _Animagi in the Making_. "_Accio!_"

Snatched up by an invisible force, the book soared into the straw-haired student's hands. Gasping, Peter stammered as the younger student gave him a pointed look. "How old are you?" Peter blurted out. "We were only supposed to learn that spell this year!"

"It's my second year," the boy answered, glancing down at the book in his hands and frowning at the title. Leaping forward, James snatched it away.

"That's mine!" he declared, and the freckled student narrowed his eyes at him as James hid the book's cover and wiped away the bubbles still clinging to its surface.

"Dueling in the corridors?" Professor Aven asked, still gaping at the room. "Can't three boys of your age think of a better way to use your wands?" Looking at each other again, James and the others did not reply as Aven crossed his arms. "I'll have to put you all in detention tonight for unnecessary shenanigans."

Raising his hand, James said, "Will it run too late, sir? I have a Quidditch game tomorrow."

"Run too late?" Aven repeated, and the student at his side tilted his head and stared at James.

"I knew that I recognized you," he stated, and James rubbed off the bubbles still hanging over his hair and glasses. "You're James Potter, the Gryffindor Chaser."

"That's me!" James agreed, flashing a grin just before a clot of bubbles fell past his eyes. Wiping them away with the back of his hand, he frowned and asked, "Who are you?"

"Barty Crou—well, Bartemius Crouch."

Pushing his wet hair out of his face, Sirius stared at the student. "Crouch? Like the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement?"

"Bartemius Crouch _Jr._," Bartemius corrected, wrinkling his nose slightly. "Not like him at all."

Wondering if they had struck a nerve, James watched as Bartemius glanced back down at the book in James' grasp. "So you keep up with me, do you?" James questioned, quickly reapplying the bubbles on his robes onto the book. "Like the Quidditch matches?" When Bartemius simply stared at him, James smirked and cocked his head. "I guess I'll see you cheering in the crowd tomorrow, eh?"

"Not for Gryffindor," Bartemius said, and James' smile quickly fell as Professor Aven spoke again.

"Dueling over a book?" he questioned, still taking in the mess. "And you managed to wreck this place on your own?"

"Well, it was mostly Black's fault," James told him, throwing a glare at Sirius. "Grrr. Hate him."

Rolling his eyes, Sirius huffed as Aven shook his head slowly. "You three can polish out the Trophy Room this evening. Peeves trashed it earlier this week, though I would say that you gave him stiff competition today."

"Will it run too late, sir?" James asked again. "It's not every day that I get to slaughter Hufflepuff."

"It'll run as long as it needs to," Aven admonished him, but James could see his eyes soften. "But don't worry, I'll keep your match in mind."

"Thank you, Professor," James told him, giving Sirius and Peter one last dirty look before marching towards the door. However, as Bartemius moved to follow them, Professor Aven stalled James by tapping his shoulder.

"Er, if you don't mind me asking," he whispered, peering at the churning sea of violet bubbles, "what spell was this?"

"Mine, sir."

Scratching the back of his head, Aven frowned at the room before clearing his throat. "I suppose I'll just let Argus look after this, then," he finally decided, quickly turning and leading the way towards the exit as James stuffed _Animagi in the Making_ into his robes.

* * *

The night's detention passed more quickly than many of James' previous punishments, and James attributed it to his belief that Professor Aven was softer than most of the other staff members. In fact, Aven ended up letting the three leave an hour before dark, even though half of the trophies were still out of place. Thankfully, Remus had only been too willing to believe his roommates' story about dueling over some small slight, although James could not help but feel a bit miffed that he shrugged off their detention so easily.

"Aven's not bad, anyway," Remus said, turning back to the textbook on his lap with a small smile at the purple bubbles still clinging to his roommates' hair. "He knows you have a Quidditch game tomorrow, James, and he won't let you miss it by sleeping too long."

Sure enough, James felt well-rested the following morning, but that did not stop him from chewing on his lip as he donned his Quidditch uniform. Gryffindor was still behind the other teams after being defeated by Slytherin, and they would have to beat Hufflepuff by a considerable lead in order to have a chance at the Cup. Slytherin's latest match had done nothing to quell James' nervousness, since they had pulled ahead of Ravenclaw by a hundred points at the last second. Regulus seemed to be doing his team a huge favor by his addition, and James briefly wondered if he had reached some level of stardom among his Housemates as he mounted his Airwake on the pitch.

"What's your plan with the Chasers, King?" Kennedy inquired before the team could rise into the air, yanking James free of his thoughts. King had not trusted the Seeker with any information about the other players' strategies after the last game, which James thought a wise call. "You're not hoping to use the Hawkshead, are you?" Kennedy prodded. "Hufflepuff understands teamwork like no one else."

"You just worry about finding the Snitch, all right?" King responded, cutting him off. "I want to take a big lead off of this one."

His attention diverted, Kennedy nodded as the two teams kicked off and started swarming the pitch, James and his fellow Chasers dodging in and out of the Hufflepuff players. Only a few minutes into the game, James and Frank had both scored a goal to the cheering of their Housemates, and James waved to Frank's mother as he zoomed by on his Airwake.

"Go, Gryffindor!" Mrs. Longbottom shouted into the wind, cupping her hands over her mouth. The sound was lost to the wind a moment later, and James leaned back slightly to slow down beside Frank and King.

"How do we look?" he shouted to them over the roar of the stadium.

"Maine's a little slow today," King yelled back, pointing at the curly-haired Chaser a short distance from them. "She had an accident with a Bludger during their last practice, and they don't have a replacement."

"That's good for us!" Frank pointed out. "It means less fancy maneuvers with the rest of the Chasers."

"It all depends on how badly they want the Cup," King answered, eying the other players as they started to regroup. "If their place in the lineup last year has anything to do with this year's strategy—"

Breaking off, King stared up at the Hufflepuff Seeker as she shot off down the pitch to the wild shouting of the crowd. "Oh no," King groaned, and the Gryffindor Chasers quickly flew into playing position while Kennedy hurtled after the enemy Seeker.

Working as quickly as they could, James, Frank, and King only managed to score once more before the abrupt ending of the match, which came to a close with Kennedy's gloved fist holding the Golden Snitch. Despite their speedy win, King and the other players were unnaturally quiet in the locker rooms, knowing that the sudden ending did not give them nearly enough time to pull ahead. Only Kennedy seemed unperturbed by the turn of events, whistling as he took off his uniform. His nonchalance made James wish for a Beater's bat, and both Michael and Raul seemed close to leaping on him as well.

"Today was a mite disappointing, wouldn't you say?" Kennedy commented to no one person in particular. "I would have liked to fly a bit longer, if only to stretch my limbs. Merlin knows that I haven't had a satisfying workout in ages!"

"For your body or for your brain?" James could not help but jibe on his way out of the locker room, and he ignored King's warning glance as he ducked out into the light. Leaving behind his teammates, he trudged out to join his waiting roommates.

"That was awfully disappointing," Sirius said at the sight of James' scowl. "I don't understand how Summerpine could have spotted the Snitch from clear across the other end of the field. I'm starting to think that she cheated."

"That's impossible," Remus disagreed, shaking his head before turning to James. "At least we still won, even if it wasn't by a lot."

"There's still a chance at the Cup, right?" Peter spoke up, but his face fell when the others ignored his question.

"Are you sure that Hufflepuff didn't cast a Probe Charm over the pitch before the game?" Sirius prodded Remus. "It would make finding the balls a lot easier."

"They wouldn't do that," Remus sighed.

"Well, other fouls have slipped past Instructor Zunderfield before," Sirius pointed out. "Do you remember how Malfoy used to knock about our players when he thought no one was watching? I don't remember any penalty shots being given because of him!"

"Spells are different," Remus disagreed. "They're a far more serious thing to get away with, and the professors scan the field for enchantments before each game. Besides, Violet would never try anything like that."

"Violet? Since when were you on such good terms with the Hufflepuff Captain?" Sirius asked.

"We're often in the library at the same time. She's helped me with some of my Care of Magical Creatures assignments before."

"And you're on good terms, then?" Sirius inquired, wiggling his eyebrows. "She's a bit older, isn't she? A fifth-year?"

"Sixth-year," Remus corrected, frowning at Sirius' tone. "She's just nice, is all. I know that she'd never allow her team to cheat."

"If you say so," Sirius replied with a shrug. "Who am I to say anything bad about your student crush?"

Flushing darkly, Remus glared at him. "Oh, you're impossible!" he exclaimed, quickly stalking ahead through the departing crowd.

As he watched their roommate disappear, James glanced at Sirius as he grinned after Remus. "What was that for?" James asked, immediately recognizing when Sirius was deliberately being difficult.

"I just wanted him to scoot off," Sirius replied, taking out a slip of paper from the inside of his robes. "This came in with an owl this morning."

Opening the letter quickly, James read the clumsy lettering scrawled at the very top of the page.

_Got the motorbike. Be ready after sundown __— __Mundungus _

* * *

As the sun began to set over the distant mountaintops, James stood waiting next to the Black Lake with Sirius and Peter, hugging his robes over his body to keep warm. The three of them were huddled next to the giant boulder that covered the tunnel entrance out of the castle, which they had used to sneak out just before dark. Peter, who had at first seemed reluctant to enter any cramped space darker than James' hair, now sat shivering on top of the oversized stone, and Sirius was seated on the grass next to him with his back against the rock. While the time ticked by, James worried that Mundungus would miss them completely in the quickly darkening grounds, and he began to wonder if the wizard had gotten lost after nearly half an hour of silent vigil.

However, Sirius and Peter soon scrambled to their feet as the heavy chugging of an engine traveled over the landscape, and James strained his eyes through the fresh wave of fog until he spotted a single spotlight blazing through the mist. As the roaring drew nearer, James watched the speck of light grow larger, and he realized with a start that it was positioned far above his head. Bobbing to and fro as it slowly lowered to the earth, the light caused James and the others to shield their eyes as it illuminated a squat man crouched over the handlebars of a flying motorbike, jerking his ride to a halt within a few meters of the boulder. Skidding around for several seconds before stopping, the motorbike's wheels threw up handfuls of dirt as they thudded to the ground, and Mundungus wiped his forehead after the dreadful noise had subsided.

"I hope you know that your bike nearly killed me!" he accused, leaping off of the seat and pointing an enraged finger back at the motorbike. "If my reflexes weren't so refined as they are, I would have been bucked off all the way back in Dorchester!"

"What have you done to it?" Sirius demanded, staring open-mouthed at the grounded bike.

"Improved it, and you're ruddy well welcome," Mundungus sniffed. "It can fly now, thanks to a few well-executed Levitation Charms. There was no way that I was going to make it past Hogwarts' front gates without giving it a little lift. It's just a good thing that I thought of that a few cities away, or else I might have been stopped."

"You didn't enchant it in front of any Muggles, did you?" James questioned.

"No, no one saw me!" Mundungus insisted, but he hesitated a moment later at the others' expressions. "Well, a few Muggles might have spotted me, but I don't reckon the Improper Use of Magic Office could have followed me all the way here. I'm too quick for them."

Sharing a glance with his roommates, James certainly hoped so; he did not fancy a inquiry from the Ministry over Mundungus' carelessness. Looking over the motorbike, he frowned when he saw the unsightly sidecar attached. "Why did you bring that?" he questioned, pointing at the extra seat.

"It was attached when I found it, and I thought that you might want it," Mundungus replied before spitting onto the ground. "Besides, I wouldn't have had the chance to remove it with that ugly little house-elf watching my every move. He was the only one at the Godric's Hollow residence, and he might have been a guard-griffin by the way he treated me."

"My parents were probably still at my Quidditch match," James guessed. "Did Winthrop let you get in all right?"

Scowling, Mundungus said, "He put up quite the fuss, but I eventually got past him. The cheeky little hound even had the nerve to tell me that he didn't care for my face. Well, I didn't care for his much either, so we were even."

Smiling to himself, James called to mind the image of his white-headed house-elf following Mundungus around Potter Cottage. With Winthrop guarding the house, James knew that Mundungus would not have had the opportunity to nick any valuables, so he did not question the wizard any further as Sirius began pushing the motorbike up to the boulder. Joining him, James and Peter huffed while Mundungus observed off to the side.

"Are you just going to leave it standing in the open?" the grubby man critiqued once the others had finished, not offering any help of his own.

"Not out in the open," James corrected with a sharp look back at him. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his Invisibility Cloak and flung it over the motorbike as Mundungus watched with wide eyes. Adjusting it with Sirius' help, he managed to cover the sidecar as well.

"Well, bless my boots!" Mundungus whistled slowly. "I wonder how much one of those would fetch on the market . . ."

"You aren't here to find out," James told him severely, snapping him back to attention.

Crossing his arms, Sirius interrogated, "You remember the rest of the deal, right?"

"Yes, yes, of course I do. My memory hasn't gone," Mundungus replied, kicking at the ground. "I've been poking around for any mention of Sibuna."

"Have you found anything yet?" Peter asked.

"Now, now, these things take time!" he responded, raising his hands. Before any of the others could threaten him again, however, he shoved his hands into his pockets and glared at them with one eye. "But before any of you get riled up, I'll let you know that I have a lead. Apparently, the bloke has made a few other appearances over the last few months."

"Just let us know as soon as you've found him," Sirius insisted. "If you could fly here in a day, we'll be able to reach you wherever you end up."

Suddenly, a thought struck James like a thunderclap, and he scratched the back of his neck before turning to Mundungus. "Er, I just realized that we don't have a way to get you back out of Hogwarts."

Expecting a fit of rage, James was surprised when Mundungus simply shook his head. "Oh, don't worry about me. I'll just Disapparate in Hogsmeade."

"But you'll have to get there first," Sirius reminded him. "It's back out the front gate."

"There's a secret passage leading to the Honeydukes cellar on the third floor," Mundungus told him. "I used it many times during my years at Hogwarts."

"But Filch, the caretaker—" Peter began.

"No one knows about the entrance except me," Mundungus interrupted. "It's only an hour's walk using the tunnel, assuming that you lads can get me into Hogwarts without being seen."

Wordlessly, James pushed aside the boulder next to the hidden motorbike, revealing the dark tunnel underneath. His mouth falling open, Mundungus stared at the opening for a moment before composing himself.

"Blimey, I never did find this one!" he commented, quickly slipping in behind the boys.

After half an hour's time, the four emerged out from behind Gregory the Smarmy's statue, stealing quick glances around the hallway before lighting their wands and hurrying up the ascending floors. Once they reached the fourth level, Mundungus took the lead and guided the others towards a humpbacked statue of a one-eyed witch. Dousing his stubby wand of its glowing tip, he tapped the stone carving as it stared down towards the prowling group in silent contempt.

"_Dissendium!_"

Reacting instantly, the statue groaned aside to reveal a cramped entrance, looking much too small for a fully-grown person to step into. Fortunately, Mundungus was quite a bit smaller than average, and he stuffed himself inside feet-first by crouching over.

"I'll be seeing you later, lads," he said in farewell, suddenly disappearing through the tight entrance with a scraping sound. A moment later, the stone witch moved back into position, and James watched with the others until it screeched to a stop.

"Just how many passages does this school have?" Sirius finally questioned aloud, and James and Peter shared a glance before turning back towards Gryffindor Tower, their adventures concluded for the night.


	14. The Girl in the Mirror

**The Girl in the Mirror**

The rest of February passed without a word from Mundungus, and James tried to quell his restlessness by focusing on his studies. Arithmancy was as complex as always, and he often had trouble understanding what Professor Vector was talking about during her lectures. Fortunately, he had always had a good mind for Transfiguration, which relied heavily on Arithmancy, and James was able to keep afloat in Vector's class without having to work too hard on the homework, which suited him just fine.

As March drew on, James began to grow more and more agitated with Mundungus' silence. He even sent Hardwin out to find the wizard a couple of different times, asking for a report on his progress, but his Screech owl returned each instance with a concise note urging James to be patient. His restlessness was becoming quite evident to Sirius and Peter, and even Remus sensed something amiss with James' continual distraction. During his class periods, James would often blank out when asked a question by a professor, and his wandering mind finally caused him the loss of a few House points when Professor Merryweather could take it no longer.

"Shame on you, Potter! You should at least try to engage with the class!" she chastised him, rapping him lightly on the head with her wand. Turning to the rest of the students, she announced, "As for the rest of you, who can name the most common household pets for Muggles?"

Leaning over from the neighboring desk, Sirius whispered to James, "Are you all right there, mate?"

"I'm fine," James sighed, putting his head in his hands. "Just tired."

"Well, I hope you're not too tired for our outing tomorrow," he answered, leaning back to put his feet on the desk.

"What outing?" James asked.

"Your birthday outing, of course," Sirius explained, and James sat up. He had almost forgotten that his birthday was the next day.

"But we have classes tomorrow," James pointed out.

"And why would that stop us from celebrating?" Sirius questioned, throwing him a grin. "But don't worry. We're going out after dark."

Although still full of questions, James did not ask him anything else as Professor Merryweather turned back around to pace the other way, and Peter shot a quick, searching glance between James and Sirius before returning to his textbook. Sirius did not mention James' birthday surprise again, and James knew better than to bring it up in front of their other roommates, knowing that it would cause objections and pleas for inclusion in what appeared to be an unlawful, risky endeavor. Remus, however, left their dormitory before the evening, having prepared to disappear for a couple of days. At his melancholy expression when he gave James an early bag of Chocolate Frogs, James wished even more urgently that Mundungus would contact them, but he was grateful to have a reason to forget about the wizard's silence the following day.

When he woke up the next morning, Sirius and Peter joined him on his four-poster and presented him with a few different treats, which were shared amongst the group as an early-morning snack. Later that afternoon, Frank and Dill wished James well on the way out of Gryffindor Tower, and Diggle waved at him from across the common room.

"Happy birthday, James!" he called out as he passed. Snorting at the tiny first-year, Sirius shook his head.

"How would he even know about your birthday?" he questioned aloud, interrupting the others as they perused their textbooks in the neighboring armchairs.

Smirking, James reached onto his lap and rubbed Mussmug's ashy head. "When you're a Quidditch sensation, word gets around! I reckon that nearly everyone in our House knows."

"I suppose," Sirius agreed distractedly, and he did not see James' glance towards the opposite end of the room. Seemingly oblivious to his presence, Lily was sitting on a velvety armchair with Alice next to her, her back to James; unlike the whole of Gryffindor, she had not bothered to congratulate him, if she even knew about the importance of the day.

"Hey Peter," James suddenly said, "could you get rid of Newshod for me?"

Jumping, Peter tilted his head. "Why?"

"I just need you to distract her for a few minutes," James replied, and Sirius turned and narrowed his eyes at him.

"But how?" Peter objected. "I don't know what to do!"

"Just get her to think that you lost your pet or something," James said.

"But I don't have a—"

"Come on, Peter, I don't have all day!" James commanded, picking Mussmug up by the scruff of her neck and flinging her over to Peter.

Instantly wide awake, the cat hissed in midair before landing on all fours, glaring at Peter as if he was a small lunch. Gulping, Peter stared back at her yellow eyes until Mussmug sped off down the common room, nearly tripping Kaitlyn Fulbright as she danced aside to dodge the speeding gray blur. Getting up, Peter bounced over to Lily and Alice, where he began to engage the latter in conversation with frequent gestures towards Mussmug's hiding place under the carpet.

"She'll see right through it, you know," Sirius spoke up, not meeting James' eyes as he sent a jet of red sparks shooting from the end of his wand.

"Not until I get to her!" James countered, rubbing a hand through his hair before getting up. Across the room, Peter and Alice started for the back wall as Lily watched them from her seat.

"I'll return in a bit!" James announced, marching off. Leaving Sirius behind, he did not stop until he stood a few paces in front of Lily, who glanced up at him only to drop her eyes to her book a moment later as if she had not seen him.

"Good day, Evans!" James spoke, raising a hand. Closing her eyes, Lily slowly looked up again as he adjusted his glasses.

"Wonderful to see you, Potter," she answered evenly. "I almost missed you there between your prancing walk and Pettigrew's mysterious vanishment."

"Do you know what today is?" James questioned her, rocking on his heels, and she tilted her head.

"Oh, isn't today when we were supposed to turn in our Astronomy essays? I nearly forgot—the coinciding of Halley's and Neptune's orbits almost did me in."

"Er . . . that's not exactly what I meant," James corrected, but he did a double-take when a small smile crossed Lily's face. "Evans, you nearly had me there!" he exclaimed, and Lily's smirk promptly vanished. "You must know that it's my birthday today!"

"Oh, is it?" Lily inquired, her blank expression betraying her disinterest.

"Yep!" James responded, grinning as he stopped rotating on his heels. "Fifteen years old today!"

"Aren't we all blessed."

His face falling, James pursed his lips. "Well, aren't you going to wish me a happy birthday, Evans? It's traditional, you know."

"Oh, is that what you want?" she asked. "I don't really see why you need it, seeing as the day's already half-over."

"But it wouldn't be complete without a birthday wish from you!" James insisted. "Come on, Evans, don't be stubborn! Humor me for a moment!"

"All right, if it'll make you leave me alone," Lily sighed, turning away. "Have a happy birthday, Potter."

"Thanks, Evans!" James told her, and he turned around to flash a thumbs-up at Sirius, who promptly faced away. Looking back at Lily, James asked, "Now what do you say if I take you down by the lake?"

"Sit on it, Potter!" Before James could reply, Lily glanced to the side and raised an eyebrow. "And you might want to save Lupin's cat before it leaps out of the window."

Spinning around, James caught sight of Mussmug standing on the edge of a windowsill, yowling as Peter and Alice tried to coax her down. Deciding to intervene before the animal could take a terrible fall, James left Lily in a rush and jumped in to help Peter, finally managing to snatch Mussmug from harm's way with a Summoning Spell.

A few hours later, the sun had fallen low over the horizon, and Sirius pulled James away from Peter under the pretense of finding a book from the library at the last minute. As they left Gryffindor Tower through the Fat Lady's portrait, Sirius turned to James with a smirk.

"Peter will know that we lied soon, but it'll be too late to stop us by then," he said as he led the way down the winding stairs.

"So what are we doing?" James prodded.

"I've been itching to take a ride on the motorbike ever since Mundungus brought it here, so I'm treating you to a midnight flight over the Forbidden Forest," he answered. When James grinned, he added, "Who knows? We might even find a place to practice our Self-Transfiguration."

"You're a wonder, Sirius!" James praised, but he frowned a moment later. "We can remove the sidecar, right?"

Giving a bark-like laugh, Sirius answered, "Don't worry, you won't have to use it."

Relaxing, James joined his friend on the winding journey to the third floor, being careful to avoid detection as they went. Thankfully, no one appeared to be in their direction of travel, and the boys walked without fear through the weaving corridors. However, when passing a line of marble busts on the second level, James spotted a flashy blur of bright orange dash from one stone head to the next out of the corner of his eye, and he whipped his line of sight to the side just as a blood-curdling scream ripped through the air.

"LOOK OUT BELOW!"

Yelling out, James and Sirius covered their heads as Peeves the Poltergeist suddenly flew upwards from behind a nearby bust and pelted them with spitballs. Throwing the leering poltergeist a dirty glance when he had finally run out of arsenal, Sirius raised his wand above his head and waved it to catch Peeves' attention.

"Get lost, Peeves!"

"I'm never lost," Peeves giggled back, twirling on his toes in midair. "But you are about to be very lost! Yes, yes, very lost indeed!"

"What do you mean by—" James began, but his words were soon cut off by the slamming of several doors along the hall.

"I hope you know your way around the castle!" Peeves cackled, pointing to a single open door behind the boys. Highlighted in heart-stopping detail against the pale light on the other side, a hunched silhouette of a man stepped into view of the corridor.

"The chase begins now!" Peeves cried as James' heart quickened, and the poltergeist swooped off towards the distant figure, who broke into the familiar, awkward gallop of Filch at the sight of the students.

"WATCH OUT!" Peeves yelled.

Not waiting to watch as Peeves attacked the caretaker with a bent-up spitball shooter, James and Sirius turned tail and sped as fast as they could towards the other end of the hall. Ramming against the farthest door, James jiggled the knob fruitlessly before drawing his wand.

"_Alohomora!_" he commanded, and the spell took effect just as Filch broke free from Peeves' distraction. With a bellow, the caretaker rushed towards the boys as they slipped through the door and immediately faced a flight of stairs. Without a second thought, they slammed the door behind them and started jumping up the stairs two steps at a time.

About halfway up the steps, James heard the door open again as Filch came barreling through, shouting threats between gasps of air. Wondering how much longer he would be able to run, James leapt over the top and ran down another hallway with Sirius, this one littered with paintings of pompous-looking old men, who all jolted awake as the boys raced past.

"Hey, what's the ruckus for?" one of the portraits called out, and another one answered him from across the room.

"Students out of bed, looks like."

"Well, it serves them right if they get caught!"

"Aw, leave them alone! You remember what it was like when you were young!"

Reaching the end of the corridor, James jerked open the door, but he stopped just in time to stop himself from running straight into a brick wall on the other side.

"Are you kidding me?" Sirius demanded as James put his hand to the wall and tried to push through. "I know that Hogwarts is balmy, but this is just unfair!"

Backing away from the doorway, James and Sirius looked around for another escape, but all they could see were the portraits staring at them from the walls. Heart falling, James realized that there was no way to escape another detention, and he glanced back at Sirius just as a voice broke through the silence.

"Psst!"

Spinning around, James and Sirius stared at one of the frames on the wall with wide eyes, seeing a young girl for the first time. James thought that she looked about his age, and she beckoned at the boys with a welcoming smile. When they each took a step forward, she giggled and twirled away, her blonde hair vanishing from her frame.

"Hey, wait!" James called out, and he and Sirius ran to her portrait only to stop suddenly. Instead of the young girl, they had come face-to-face with themselves, and James realized that he had mistaken the mirror for a painting. Behind them, James heard the pounding feet of Filch come striding closer, and he turned around to glance at the top of the stairs as an old wizard in a nearby portrait puffed on his pipe.

"Well?" the man asked in a raspy voice. "Get going, or you'll be caught!"

Turning away from the other portraits as they all watched, James pulled on the side of the mirror and jumped into an opening on the other side. Following a hand-breadth away, Sirius landed on the solid ground beneath them and yanked the mirror shut with a clatter before Filch could appear.

"Come on!" Sirius urged, pushing past James and lighting his wand. "Filch will be scouring the room after he finds out that it's a dead end! We've got to keep moving!"

Without a word of complaint, James lit his wand as well and pattered after his roommate, who hopped down a slow-moving slope. However, the lights from both of their wands soon became somewhat of a formality, because the passageway was inexplicably well-lit of its own accord. Warm and soft, the faint yellowness of the tunnel guided the boys forward with plenty of room between the two of them. As they went on, the corridor grew even more spacious, and James and Sirius eventually put away their wands completely.

After several minutes, the tunnel finally exploded into an echoey room much like a cave, and James finally spotted a light source in the form of several flickering torches lining the circular cavern. Taking in the sheer magnitude of the space, James guessed that it might be able to hold Hagrid's hut at its highest point, and possibly several more cabins spaced along the empty floor. However, the most surprising aspect of the cavern was the blue flames held by the torches, which gave the room a far chillier feel than the previous passageways.

"Is anybody here?" James asked aloud, even though the cavern offered a flat, unobstructed view from all sides. Wondering how long the torches had been flickering, he stepped forward while Sirius glanced back over his shoulder.

"I reckon that Filch would have found us by now if he knew of the tunnel."

"Do you think that anyone knows?" James responded. "Who was that girl in the mirror?"

"I don't know," Sirius replied, a grin slowly forming as he stared around the room, "but I think we just found it!"

"Found what?"

"Where we become Animagi!"

Spinning around, James shot upright and grabbed his hair with one hand. "Merlin's pants, you're right! We've done it!"

"I've never even been to that portrait hall before," Sirius exclaimed, "but whoever that girl was, we owe her, big-time! Just wait until we tell Peter!"

"This place is almost big enough to hold all of Gryffindor House!" James said. "It'll be perfect for when we actually become Animagi! I've always wondered if I might turn into a rhinoceros."

"You?" Sirius scoffed, walking deeper into the cavern. "I think that a goldfish is more likely." Coming to a halt before James could retort, he bent down on the far end of the room and stared at the floor. "Oi, there's an opening here! I think that the passage continues!"

Standing by his side, James glanced down into the circular hole, narrowing his eyes at the dark vortex. "Where do you suppose it goes?"

"There's only one way to find out," Sirius answered, and he shoved his wand into his robes.

"Wait, shouldn't we drop something down there first?" James questioned. "It might go on forever. I can't see a thing!"

"All right," Sirius agreed, and James rummaged around in his pocket before finding a leftover Chocolate Frog package from a few days prior. Tossing it into the hole, he listened as it clattered against solid ground after a matter of seconds. Shrugging, he turned to Sirius.

"I guess I'll go first," James offered, and he dangled his legs through the opening before dropping himself.

Prepared to land feet-first, he gave out a short yelp as his heels hit the floor at an angle and slipped out from under him, and he dug his hands into the walls on either side of him as he sped down at an alarming rate. Almost falling steeply enough so that his body remained upright, James twirled in increasingly tighter circles as he clawed at the walls, and he ended up yelling most of the way down due to the shock of the journey and the pain of having his hands grate against the rough stone.

Finally, after a minute of rapid spinning that left his head reeling, James skidded to a stop at the bottom of the tunnel, and he laid with his back against the ground for a moment to catch his breath. His heart was still racing, but he lifted his head and glanced around; he was able to see his surroundings quite clearly from several shining slits in the low ceiling. Frowning, he suspected that he had landed in an underground storage room, judging from the yellow glow coming from the wooden slats overhead and the sparsely placed barrels in front of him.

Eventually, a muffled voice from behind made him turn back towards the hole that he had fallen out of. "James? James! James, are you there? Oof!"

James barely had time to react before Sirius popped out of the cylindrical passageway and plowed into him. Scrambling to a sitting position, Sirius began to push James away only to recognize him a few moments later, and he grinned sheepishly.

"There you are! You didn't answer when I called for you. Quite a ride, wasn't it?"

"Shh!" James demanded as a series of footsteps sounded from overhead, and he slapped his hand over Sirius' mouth while the pacing passed. Yanking James' hand away, Sirius shot him a glare and whispered harshly.

"I can hear too, you know!" he spat, but he soon quieted as the pair of feet crossed back in the other direction, more rapidly this time. Motioning for Sirius to follow, James started to crawl between the barrels with his eyes upturned, searching for a way to climb into the room above.

After a few moments, he stopped underneath a hinged square slab of wood, and he allowed Sirius to join him as he listened for the set of footsteps. Soon, they walked by again, but this time they headed away from the boys along the width of the storage room. Hearing the sound of a door opening, James held his breath as the light coming through the wooden floor flicked off, followed by the door closing and the turn of a key.

"I think it's clear now," Sirius spoke up, and he and James pushed on the trap door, letting a thin shower of dirt cascade onto their faces. Lifting himself up through the exit, James shook his head to knock the dirt off of his glasses and peered around. Less than an arm's length in front of him, a row of Firewhiskey bottles were lined up at the bottom of a cabinet.

"Where are we?" Sirius asked as he pushed his roommate out, and James stood after a cautious pause to get a better look at their surroundings.

"I—I think that we're in the Hog's Head," he replied, making no effort to hide his surprise. Standing up beside him, Sirius stared at the filthy floor.

"We certainly are," he agreed, lifting his eyebrow. "This is the last place I thought we would end up."

Positioned behind the bar's counter, the boys peered at the grimy windows in an attempt to spot the person who had just walked out, but the view from within provided no further clarity than from outside. "Why would there be a passage here from Hogwarts?" James questioned, but he cut himself off with a smirk. "Do you think that Professor Slughorn gets orders of mead delivered from here?"

"The passage seems like it was meant for a one-way trip," Sirius countered, glancing back down at the trap door.

Remembering the steep passageway, James nodded and kicked the trap door closed. "I guess there's no chance of getting back that way, but there's still the tunnel that leads to the Honeydukes cellar."

Hanging back as James marched out from behind the counter, Sirius peered at the bubbling bottles around him with a strange glint in his eye. "Do you think that the bartender will miss any of these?"

"We'd better not," James suggested. "Our footsteps might show in all this grime, and the bartender doesn't seem like the type of fellow to anger."

Deflating, Sirius joined his roommate as James opened the front door with an Unlocking Charm and glanced down the street to make sure that they were alone. As Sirius approached, however, James glanced back into the Hog's head and noticed a portrait hanging near the back corner. Recognizing the young girl who had saved them from Filch, he nodded and smiled, but she did not seem to notice him as she turned her vague smile in the other direction. Catching up to James, Sirius turned back and spotted her as well.

"There she is," Sirius pointed out, and the two boys backed reverently out of the door a moment later.

Guided by the brilliant full moon, they did not have to light their wands to avoid tripping on the cobblestones beneath their feet. As the two stole down to the main street of Hogsmeade, James thought that he could hear the forlorn sound of a howl far within the darkness, but his ears might have just as easily been playing tricks on him in the late hour.


	15. Change of Command

**Change of Command**

After returning safely to Hogwarts, James and Sirius woke Peter the next morning and told him all about the mysterious passage on the fourth floor, guarded by a portrait of a blonde girl in the Hog's Head. Although upset at first that his roommates had abandoned him last night, Peter listened to their story in unblinking awe and agreed to join them on their next visit. Remus himself straggled back into their dormitory later that day, and his roommates greeted him with bright smiles and a box of treacle fudge that James and Sirius had nicked on the way through Honeydukes.

"What's all this?" Remus inquired, brushing the back of his head with a slight smile as the others beamed. "It's James' birthday, not mine. Don't you remember?"

"We thought that you deserved an early Easter celebration!" James announced.

"Do you want me to open this now so we can share?" Remus asked, and the others leaned forward as he shook his head and began unwrapping the container. "Where did you even get this? It can't have been lying around our room all this time."

"My parents sent it to me," James lied, and Remus glanced up at the others' uncontrolled beams.

"Why the good moods?"

"Can't we be happy?" Sirius questioned. "It's not a crime, you know."

"All right," Remus shrugged, biting into one of the fudge squares with a smile. "But you know that you still owe me candy on Easter, right?"

"Er, right," James agreed, and the others laughed as Remus passed around the box.

None of the four roommates returned home for the week-long Easter break, Remus claiming that there was no point in disappearing from Hogwarts longer than necessary and the others too excited to formally begin their Animagi training—at least, James and Sirius were eager. On their first afternoon in the secret passage behind the mirror, James wondered if Peter had only come because the others had dragged him, but he offered no explicit complaint about the use of their free time.

Deprived of the Animagus Potion, the boys could only do so much as they read through _Animagi in the Making_, but James hardly had time to dwell on their limitations as he helped Peter with his spell-work. James and Sirius were racing by the incantations described in the book, but Peter found it harder to deliver his spells perfectly even after several attempts. In fact, aiding Peter took up most of their time in the hidden tunnel, but James thought that it might be for the best whenever he stole a look ahead at the future pages and noted their contents' complexity.

For better or worse, James was repeatedly called away from his secret Transfiguration sessions for work on the Quidditch field. Discouraged after their early victory against Hufflepuff, the Gryffindor team had lapsed into lethargy when it came to their practices, even though King did his best to spurn them on with the wildest exercises that James had ever witnessed. In his attempt to keep the players on their toes, King once made both ends of the field fair game for the Chasers, which meant rapid zipping back and forth for poor Joseph. At the end of the practice, he doubled over and regurgitated his dinner, but the others' sympathy did not last long when they returned to the pitch the next day and had to locate a total of seven released Snitches, one for each player.

James and Frank would have complained to each other more heartily if it was not for their underlying anxiety. No one else on the team mentioned their apprehension out loud, but James caught sight of the others' downcast eyes far more often than he would have liked. Even Kennedy was wise enough not to comment on their state of affairs, although he was prone to carefree chatter about the weather, and the team's nervousness began to wear on James.

By the time of the final Quidditch match, he felt like a complete wreck on the inside. He spent almost twenty minutes staring at his reflection in the washroom mirror before Sirius finally coaxed him out with several loud bangs on the door.

"James! Quit moping about and get to the field! You're going to be late!"

Giving his wild hair (which he had somehow not yet found the time to comb) one last glare, James rushed out of the door and knocked into Sirius. Although he seemed that he might berate James for the inconvenience, Sirius instead grabbed him by the shoulder and stopped him before he could leave for the grounds.

"Mate, it's going to be fine!" he insisted, locking eyes with James. "It's just a lousy Quidditch match!"

Recoiling, James gaped at him. "You don't mean that!"

"No, I guess I don't," Sirius corrected himself with a sheepish grin before continuing. "What I mean is it's just another lousy day on the field. Do you remember last year when you had to pull ahead of Slytherin by 300 points in your final game? Didn't you end up doing it?"

"Yeah," James replied, looking down, but Sirius pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with a shove that commanded attention.

"Then what's to worry?"

"Well, you might pray that I don't punch out Kennedy again," James said over his shoulder as he turned to leave. Before disappearing, however, he paused and smiled at Sirius. "Thanks, mate."

"Go get 'em, Potter!" Sirius answered, raising his hand in a salute before James could run off.

In the common room, James paired up with Frank for the walk to the pitch, and James glanced at his curly-haired friend when he noticed the pronounced bags under his eyes. "Are you doing all right?"

Moaning, Frank raised his hand to his eyes and rubbed them as if trying to gouge them out. "I never knew that life could get this difficult. I haven't been able to sleep between Quidditch practices, prefect duties, and studying for the end-of-the-year exams."

"Oh, yeah," James spoke, nodding. "I should probably see about those soon." Staring at him, Frank said nothing as they walked down Gryffindor Tower at a parting wave from the Fat Lady.

Reaching the locker rooms after the other players had already arrived, James slipped into his uniform and tried his best to ignore the nearby Seeker as Kennedy pulled on his unsoiled gloves. Although James could see Kennedy look at him through the corner of his eye, James kept his head trained forward as he grabbed his Airwake from the wall and gave it a twirl in his grip.

"How are you feeling, James?" Michael asked, leaning closer as Raul finished pulling on his uniform.

"Ready to let Ravenclaw watch my tail end," James joked with a projection of confidence that he did not quite feel, but he brightened when both of the Beaters laughed. Next to them, Kennedy's mouth twitched as he glanced in their direction, but he did not speak.

"James, we've been playing together for three years now, and even I haven't seen your front end!" Raul declared. "I doubt that there's a player in the school who can keep up with you!" At this, Kennedy stiffened, but King spoke and called the team to attention.

"Listen here, everyone!" As the players turned to him, he said, "Give it all you've got out there. We still have a chance to win the Cup, so let's not give up before we've started."

After a short pause, Raul moved first and put his arm out, and the others quickly put their hands on top of his. "Let's get this right," Frank told the others, his exhaustion disappearing.

Even Kennedy seemed to steel himself, although he was the first to break away from the circle and adjust his uniform. "If we're going to beat Ravenclaw, we have to at least make an appearance," he pointed out, thrusting his chin towards the door, and the rest of the team followed him out of the locker rooms with shared grimaces.

Once out on the field, King and Captain Tori Hansfeld shook hands before lifting into the air at Instructor Zunderfield's whistle. Hovering beside Frank, James narrowed his eyes at the enemy Chasers, his hands tightening around his broom's handle. If he looked down, he knew that he would spot his roommates and parents in the crowd, but he hesitated in case he would end up distracting himself from the match. Even so, he eventually allowed himself a brief glance down at the stands, but instead of spying his friends, he almost slipped off of his broomstick in response to the cheer that arose from the crowd. Several of the spectators were waving red and gold flags, and many more started to jump up and down when they spotted James looking down at them.

"Go, Potter!" a distant student yelled, hoisting a banner with James' name emblazoned on it. Grinning, James waved before turning back to the Ravenclaw Chasers, feeling his heart rev much like Sirius' motorbike.

As soon as Instructor Zunderfield's whistle blew, James swerved in and out of the opposing players, keeping close to Frank and King. The release of his pent-up energy caused him to fly even faster than normal, and he had to double around the Ravenclaws just to stay within passing distance of his teammates. Thankfully, his rapid veering so early in the game seemed to disjoint the other team, and Gryffindor was able to start with the Quaffle.

Ducking underneath Chaser Jeanette Bridge, James took the ball from King and knocked it through one of the Ravenclaw goalposts with the end of his broom. Clapping hands with Frank on the journey to the center of the field, James raised his fist as the crowd screamed in approval. Looking down at the spectators again, he caught sight of Lily and her friends standing just in front of Hagrid's easily-spottable mass, and he felt his heart leap. Looking back towards Frank, he motioned for a quick word as they flew back into playing position.

"What is it?" Frank asked James.

"Do you think that you could keep passing me the ball? I think I can keep Ravenclaw at bay."

"As long as King's all right with it, I suppose," Frank answered, glancing at the Captain before turning back to James. "What have you got in mind? The Woollongong Shimmy?"

"Whatever it takes to keep them distracted," James replied, nodding.

"All right, I'll run it by him," Frank responded, zooming off down the pitch.

As Bridge and the other Ravenclaw Chasers recovered from the last play, James watched as Frank conversed quickly with King and shot him a thumbs-up from across the field. Grinning, James nodded in return as the game started again, and King soon intercepted the Quaffle from a wide pass between the other team. Taking off in the other direction, he waited until drawing up beside James before relinquishing his catch, and James made a series of sharp turns to the left and right on the way to the goalposts. Crossing paths with him from above and below, Frank and King mirrored his sporadic movements, and the Ravenclaw Chasers had trouble following the Quaffle's path in the midst of the coinciding zig-zags.

In a little over a minute, James had scored against the Ravenclaw Keeper once again, and King caught James as the crowd cheered again. "Good call, James!" he praised, and he waved over Frank as Ravenclaw retrieved the Quaffle. "We'll keep up the tactic for another few plays. As long as they're confused, we'll have the upper hand."

"I'll start with the Quaffle again!" James volunteered, and he started to fly off until King grabbed his arm.

"James, let's switch it up now and again, shall we?" he suggested, giving a wry sort of half-smile. "The point of the play is lost if Ravenclaw starts to see a pattern."

"Oh. All right," James agreed, glancing briefly towards Lily. Joining Frank and King in the center of the pitch, he tore his eyes away from the stands and squared his shoulders for another flight.

The next hour of flying gave both Gryffindor and Ravenclaw sufficient opportunity to score against each other, but James' idea for the Woollongong Shimmy came in handy during the first several plays. Even though the opposing Chasers were never fully able to control the Quaffle when Gryffindor had possession of it, Captain Hansfeld eventually called an impromptu meeting with the Ravenclaws Beaters, and the Bludgers became a bit of a problem for James and his teammates. Talented in their own right, the Ravenclaw Chasers held their ground against Gryffindor, scoring several points of their own. At the end of the first hour, Eric Thompson's voice came over the speaker as the crowd clapped again.

"And there's another goal for Gryffindor! That leaves the score 140 to 80, their favor."

Mixed murmuring ran throughout the spectators, and James nodded at Frank and King as they flew to his side. Although they exchanged no words, James could read the message in their eyes as clearly as if they had sent him a Howler—they still had a lot of work to do.

"Still aiming to confuse?" Frank asked King with a turn of his head, and the Captain nodded as he glanced up at the scoreboard. Following his gaze, James could not stop a slight hiss from escaping his teeth as he spotted Kennedy float down to them, his mouth already partway open.

"King? If I may," he began as the Chasers turned to him, "I rather hoped that you had another plan. The game seems a little slow-going, and although my abilities with the Snitch go unquestioned, I won't be able to raise our shot at the Cup more than 150 points."

"Unquestioned by whom?" James inquired under his breath, but King replied to the Seeker in a far more controlled tone.

"Just worry about the Snitch, Cassius. I'll call the plays here."

"I only thought that my concerns would be of assistance," Kennedy muttered as King beckoned the other Chasers away, and the Seeker threw James a dark glance before they parted ways. Pleased that King had put his trust in him rather than Kennedy, James lifted his head higher as both teams' Chasers prepared for another match.

"This way, King!" Frank shouted as he dove to snatch the Quaffle, and James kept at his side while the opposing players sped up from behind.

Breaking into another round of back-and-forth flying, James glanced up at the sound of swishing robes and ducked as Bridge attempted to block his movement. Cut off from his teammates as he slowed and corrected his path of travel, James took the long way around the enemy Chaser and relied on his superior speed to catch up to Frank and King. However, by the time his teammates had reached the three hoops on the other end of the field, he was still several meters behind.

"Coming your way!" Frank yelled at King, hurling the Quaffle with a thrust of his arm. As King reached out to snatch it from midair, James noticed a black blur racing towards the Captain from the other direction, and he yelled a warning.

"King, look out! It's a Bludg—"

Closing his eyes as the inevitable played out, James winced as a sickening thud reached his ears, the crowd gasping. Once he dared to open his eyes again, James watched as King plummeted to the ground, his broomstick and the Quaffle following just behind. Although he zoomed after him, James eventually relaxed and pulled up as King hoisted himself onto his broom with both hands, still conscious after the collision. Slowing, James jumped to the ground as King landed, and the other Gryffindor players alighted a few moments later.

"Stay back a moment!" King commanded before any of them could ask if he was all right, holding out a hand as he clutched his stomach with the other. Half-turning, he gulped for air before touching his head and groaning, his knees sinking to the ground.

"King, you need to step out of the game," Frank spoke up, gaping down at the Captain as the others realized the seriousness of the situation.

"Just . . . give me . . . a moment," King muttered again, his teeth gritted, but Instructor Zunderfield and Madam Pomfrey soon hurried up to his side.

"Lie back, young man," Madam Pomfrey soothed, easing King onto the grass. "It'll help reorient you faster."

Watching breathlessly, the rest of the team listened to the murmuring of the crowd as Madam Pomfrey performed a few spells over King's body, paying close attention to invisible signs. After a minute of respectful silence, the matron looked up at Instructor Zunderfield and shook her head.

"We'll have to get him back to the hospital wing as soon as possible," she announced, and the Gryffindor players all shrank. "This one's worse than a few simple breaks," Madam Pomfrey explained, turning back to King. "I'm surprised that you're still conscious!"

Struggling to breathe, King kept his eyes shut as Madam Pomfrey conjured a stretcher underneath him. Taking a step forward, Raul stated the obvious. "We're a man down now. Who's going to captain us?"

"Normally, teams have players waiting in reserve," Kennedy pointed out before any of the others could answer.

"We don't have any reserve Chasers," King grunted from the stretcher, and everyone turned to look at him as he forced his eyes open. "We had enough trouble finding a new Seeker at the beginning of the year. We didn't need to make things any more complicated."

"So that's it, then," Kennedy grumbled. "We're up against Ravenclaw with two Chasers."

"Unless you feel like forfeiting, there's not a whole lot you can do about it," King snapped, narrowing his eyes, and Kennedy fell silent. "I'll tell you what you're going to do. You're going to get back up there and play like nothing has changed."

"But we still need a Captain," Joseph insisted. "You won't be there telling us what to do."

"It should be the player with the most experience," Kennedy announced, straightening. "It's foolhardy to appoint someone who's unprepared for the challenge."

Closing his eyes again, King laid still for a moment before issuing a sigh. "You're right, of course." Smirking, Kennedy opened his mouth to speak just as King turned to James. "James, do you think you're up to it?"

Freezing, James took a second too long to answer, and that was all Kennedy needed. "Potter?" he spluttered. "But he's the youngest of us here! Even Longbottom's got more experience than him!"

"_Even Longbottom?_" Frank repeated, turning on Kennedy, but King cut both of them off.

"James has proven his abilities time and time again this year," King argued, "and the most I've ever heard you do is complain."

Stiffening, Kennedy scowled and crossed his arms as the rest of the players exchanged grins. "Well, I still think it's an unwise decision."

"Very well," King relented, and Kennedy unraveled his arms as King nodded at the others. "Let's put it to a vote. Who says that James should be put on as temporary Captain?"

Throwing a glare at Kennedy, Frank shot his hand into the air along with each of the remaining players. Raising an eyebrow, King lifted his own hand a few inches from his chest, and Kennedy huffed at the clear outcome. Smirking, James finally found his voice as he turned to the Seeker.

"Well, you heard the team, Kennedy!" he announced, grinning at the grimace on the player's face. "Let's win this game, shall we?"

"Good luck, James," King said as the team leapt onto their broomsticks, and Madam Pomfrey raised King's stretcher into the air with her wand and carted it off the field. Spinning to face the spectators, Instructor Zunderfield raised his hands and put his wand to his throat.

"James Potter has been voted temporary Captain for Gryffindor!" he spoke, his voice unnaturally amplified with a spell. "The game will continue as usual!"

What started as scattered applause soon grew into a wild frenzy of cheering and whooping as the Gryffindor players rose into the air, led off by James on his Airwake. Acutely aware of the watching eyes below, James sent his teammates off with a wave of his hand, joined only by Frank as they faced down the Ravenclaw Chasers in the center of the field. At Zunderfield's whistle, the game began again, and James raced after the Quaffle as a Ravenclaw Chaser caught it and flew towards Gryffindor's goalposts.

Blocked by the other Chasers, James and Frank attempted to speed underneath them, but their attempts were easily thwarted with a few midair adjustments from Ravenclaw. Locking eyes with James, Frank waited for a suggestion as James nodded at the space between the other players. Drawing closer together, he and Frank zipped forward and shot out from between the Ravenclaws in a sudden burst of speed. Once they had passed them, they split up and flew unhindered, but it soon became clear to James that they would not reach the third Chaser in time.

"Eyes up, Joseph!" James yelled ahead, and Joseph readied himself in front of the goalposts. When the Ravenclaw player released the ball, Joseph swished to the side and beat the Quaffle down with a blow from his palm, drawing a cheer from the crowd. Circling back around, James gave Joseph a thumbs-up.

"Looking good!" he praised, and Joseph smiled. Cupping his hands over his mouth, James called to the Beaters on the other end of the field. "Keep the Bludgers occupied, fellows!"

"Aye, aye, Captain!" Michael agreed before he and Raul zipped off in opposite directions, aiming for the black balls with their bats held high. A short distance above, Kennedy glowered at James before turning away to search the field for the Snitch.

As the game progressed, James' popularity in the stadium increased with each consecutive order he gave out. The crowd clamored whenever he and Frank managed to score a goal between the two of them, even cheering when their attempts failed to get past the opposing Keeper. Under James' commands, the Gryffindors kept the other team on edge with aptly aimed Bludgers and deflected Quaffles. Even some of the watching Ravenclaws offered a few polite claps after a particularly good play from Gryffindor.

"And the score's 200 to 150, still a close game!" Thompson announced over the speaker. "What a show by Gryffindor today! Their Captain down, and still putting up a fight! Wait, I think that Kennedy's calling for a quick word with the temporary Captain." After a pause, Thompson cleared his throat. "Er, Potter? Potter, your teammate's calling for you! Will you turn arou—oh, never mind," he finally ended as Kennedy shot in front of James, demanding his attention.

"Potter!" Kennedy yelled out, jerking his broomstick to a halt, and James faced him with an eye-roll. "I know you probably can't read the scoreboard, but I'm sure that you can hear the commentator. We're still only ahead by 50 points, and the Cup's out of the question if you and Longbottom can't pick it up!"

"Unless you're going to tell me that you're secretly a gifted Chaser, I doubt that you have any real news to relay," James responded, hoping that Kennedy would not in fact respond with assertions of his abilities as a Chaser. "In case you haven't noticed, we're a man down! We're doing the best that we can!"

"It's still not enough!" Kennedy insisted, almost spitting as he sat back on his broomstick. "I can't begin to comprehend why King put you in charge if you can't even give Ravenclaw a fight!"

"I'm sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of the crowd cheering my name!" James shouted, nearly telling the truth at this point. As he attempted to fly off, Kennedy started to follow, but the Seeker soon ducked as a Bludger sailed dangerously close to his head. Looking up, Kennedy shook his white-gloved fist at Michael, who sat atop his broom with his club in hand.

"Whoops!" Michael apologized, shrugging, and he turned to speed away with Raul in the other direction.

Unable to hide a smirk, James shot down the pitch with Frank and continued to batter the Ravenclaw Chasers back from their side of the field. Michael and Raul were doing the same thing with the enemy Beaters, nearly unstoppable now that they only had two teammates to protect. Once in a while, one of them would send a Bludger shooting towards the group of Ravenclaw Chasers, and either James or Frank would grab the opportunity to carry the Quaffle through their broken line of defense. Still, Ravenclaw was mostly able to recover before a goal was scored, and the play progressed back-and-forth for almost another hour while the spectators yelled below.

"270 to 250!" Thompson exclaimed over the roar of the crowd, and James slowed beside Frank as the latter sat back and wiped his brow.

"They're catching up!" Frank pointed out, staring at the scoreboard. Running a hand through his hair, James followed his gaze and promptly scowled as Kennedy swooped in from above to block the score.

"Any ideas, Potter?" he goaded, lifting an eyebrow.

"Hmm, here's one: how about you stick to your job?" James suggested, but Kennedy scoffed.

"Trust me, the Snitch isn't going to appear when I turn my back for a few seconds. But what I'm worried about is our team's apparent ineptitude without King to lead us. I'll never understand what compelled him to pick you of all people as a stand-in, but I'm asking that you listen to reason and decide on a plan of action!"

"A plan of action?" James responded, his mouth falling open. "Frank and I are working our tails off just to keep the lead, and we're still 20 points ahead of Ravenclaw! Between us, Michael, Raul, and Joseph, you're the only one not contributing anything to the game!" Turning up his nose, Kennedy simply glared as James spat at him. "There's no need for a plan of action! We're just trying to keep afloat, and if you think for one moment that I—"

Breaking off suddenly, James stared above Kennedy's head and blinked, freezing at the sight of a flittering, golden sphere. Finally, he ripped himself out of his daze and pointed behind the Seeker's head with a yell.

"TURN AROUND, YOU BLUNDERING GIT! IT'S THE SNITCH!"

James spotted the whites of Kennedy's eyes grow to twice their size before the player spun his broomstick about and zoomed forward, grabbing at the minuscule ball hovering behind him. Unfortunately, his hurry caused his first swipe to miss, and the Golden Snitch jerked downwards at the sudden movement before tearing away with Kennedy in hot pursuit. Raising a cheer as Tori Hansfeld joined him in the chase, the crowd screamed encouragement as James turned and flew away with Frank, clutching his Airwake's handle until his knuckles turned white.

"I can't believe I'm stuck with that idiot!" James growled, but Frank had dissolved into a fit of laughter.

"Did you see how quickly he spun around?" he crowed, barely managing to hang onto his broom with one arm wrapped around his stomach. "You sure scared him! I wish that King was here to see that! Blimey, I should have caught it with a camera! I've never seen you look so angry!"

Glancing back at him, James felt his ears grow warm. "Er, shouldn't we get on with the match?" he asked, and Frank finally sat up long enough to wipe a tear from the corner of his eye.

"I don't think there's much need for that," he replied, pointing, and James followed his finger to watch as Kennedy reached his hand towards the Snitch a few meters in front of Hansfeld. With a slight stumble against the wind, he snatched the golden ball out of the air, and Thompson's voice shouted over the ensuing din.

"Gryffindor wins! It's not nearly enough to give them the Cup, but what a show! Make sure to congratulate both teams on the way out!"

As the commentator clicked off, James lowered to the ground with the rest of the team. Although a small sinking in his stomach seemed to increase the pull of gravity, he soon forgot his disappointment as a wild cheer rose up from the Gryffindor students in the stands.

"Potter! Potter! Potter!" they cried, and James smiled at the spectators' upturned faces as he alighted on the grass. Walking by, his teammates took turns clapping him on the back.

"Congratulations, James!" Michael told him before he and Raul jogged off towards their celebrating Housemates.

"I'd relive this game any day!" Frank told James, patting his shoulder and joining the Beaters.

Lifting his head a little higher, James began ambling in the direction of the stands, and a round of applause swelled up at his approach. Pausing several steps away, James allowed himself a grin and raised his fist into the air. Whooping in response, the spectators welcomed the Gryffindor players with energetic waves, and James pushed his hair back before marching into the crowd.


	16. The Blue Fountain

**The Blue Fountain**

Nothing was quite like the days after the Quidditch match. James made it a point to visit the hospital wing as soon as he had left the pitch, with each of the other team members joining him—save for Kennedy, who had disappeared in the game's aftermath, and no one had a desire to seek him out. Michael and Raul traded off in telling King the story of the match, using rapid hand movements and several loud exclamations that prompted a few glares across the room from Madam Pomfrey. Although he had been woken up from a deep, spell-induced slumber, King grinned and delivered the only three words that James needed to hear after the Captain learned about his part in the game.

"I knew it," he mumbled before dropping off again, giving a snore that rivaled the volume of the Beaters' story.

As for the rest of Gryffindor House, they were congratulating James every time he turned around, even though Ravenclaw had still won the Cup. Enjoying his celebrity-like status, James relayed the excitement of the match to every student who asked for his side of the story. Dedalus Diggle ended up listening to his tale five times in the next two days, and James felt his chest swell when one of the other first-years asked who Kennedy was after James mentioned his name in passing. The only one of James' Housemates who seemed to grow tired of reliving his success was Lily ("You know that we didn't actually win the Cup, right?" she was overheard saying to Hillary on day six), but Peter never failed to draw closer at the start of another story, and Sirius took it upon himself to impress the younger students with additional information about his renowned roommate.

"Oh, sure, he catches Quaffles in his sleep," James overheard him telling a group of Gryffindor students in the common room. "He's even had a dream about catching the Golden Snitch—he talks during the night, you know. I can get you all his autograph if you want. Just hand over a couple of Sickles, and the deal is done! Writing hurts his throwing hand, you know, so he has to be careful with how much he does it."

"I wish I could convince Professor Slughorn of that," James told him later, once all of the students had left. "I'd love to get out of that Potions essay we have due!"

Indeed, despite his attempts to ignore it, James' homework had started to pile up in earnest, all in preparation for the end-of-the-year exams. Now that the Quidditch season had ended, he had lost his excuse to ignore his assignments, and his professors were having none of the complaints given by the other fourth-years. Peter had started to sink into his pre-exam anxiety, which was made worse in lieu of Defense Against the Dark Arts; Professor Aven almost jumped when the class asked about the upcoming exam, and James wondered how much he had prepared for the test when he proceeded to dodge their questions and give them another essay for the next week.

Just a few days before exam week, the Gryffindors and Slytherins gathered together for their last Care of Magical Creatures lesson of the school year. Most of the girls had hurried forward to admire the massive unicorn that Professor Kettleburn brought in, but James stayed back with the other boys. The lesson was a revision, and they all knew by now that unicorns preferred the presence of girls far more than that of their own, a truth that Peter had learned the hard way several weeks back. For the most part, the boys were content with keeping their distance from the unicorn's gargantuan hooves, and James conversed with his roommates several steps away from the creature.

"At least I can spend this last class period in peace," Remus said, glancing towards the pearly-white horn mounted in the center of the unicorn's skull. "The fewer opportunities I give some deadly animal to maim me, the better."

"Well, I think that I'll try and get something out of this last lesson," James spoke up after having stared at Lily and her friends for the first half of the class. "You never know—maybe the unicorn's friendly!"

Sighing, Remus raised his voice as James started to walk off. "But the 'unicorn' has done such a great job of avoiding tales of your Quidditch escapades so far. Maybe we should let it get away, just this once."

"Not a chance!" James called back, and Remus and Peter exchanged a look with Sirius, who only shook his head. Out of the corner of his vision, James saw Snape narrow his eyes next to the other Slytherin boys as he traced James' path of travel.

"Hey, Evans!" James greeted as Lily turned around. "Is there any chance that you could spare a little room?"

Fortunately, the unicorn created space for James, having eyed his approach from across the grass. Flicking its mane, it trotted off a few steps while the other girls followed, making kissing noises in an attempt to coax it back towards them. Shooting a glance at the unicorn, Lily made a brief motion to leave, but she sighed when James took up the space between her and the animal.

"What do you want, Potter?" she asked, crossing her arms as Professor Kettleburn moved after the migrating students. Close on the professor's heels, Hagrid lumbered off and left James and Lily standing alone, stuck in the short distance between both clusters of students.

"I just wanted to ask you about that trip to the lake," James told her, running his hand through the back of his unkempt hair with a grin. "After the Quidditch match, I wanted to give you the first option."

Huffing, Lily shook her head. "I don't believe you," she said, and she turned to walk towards the other girls.

Running to catch up, James blocked her way again by spreading out his arms. "Wait, I'm doing you a favor! I've had about four other girls come up and ask me about the weekend, but I turned them all down."

"We have exams to study for!" Lily answered, her green eyes sparking.

"Oh, come off it, you know that neither of us needs the extra time!" James objected. "It'll be worth your sacrifice, Evans, I'll make sure of it!"

"I said no," Lily responded, and she took careful attention to tread on James' foot before marching off to join her friends. After uttering a grunt, James held his throbbing toe and watched as she walked off. Eyes averted, he did not notice Snape's approach until the tweedy boy stood by his side.

"Did I just hear what I think I did?" Snape sneered as James set his foot down again and stood.

"It depends what you heard," James replied shortly, brushing himself off.

"Do you actually think that she would go out with you?" Snape interrupted, rolling his eyes with a curled lip. "Merlin, you're even more idiotic than I thought."

"And why would you care?" James snapped back. "Have a crush, do we, Snivellus?" When Snape turned red, James wrinkled his nose. "It's not like Evans has ever noticed you, with all the time you spend crawling after her. Why should she care? You're nothing but a two-faced snake too cowardly to make a move in case she finds out how you treat other Muggle-borns."

Looking away, Snape stared at the grass. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Hey, I may wear these glasses, but I'm not blind," James continued, advancing on Snape. "I've seen how you look at her from across Potions—waiting for her to glance your way, like a hungry vulture. It's disgusting."

Stepping backwards as James kept moving, Snape opened his mouth to respond, but James cut him off and stared into his quickly widening eyes. "Well, let me make one thing clear: she'll never be interested in a pathetic, spineless prat who's jealous of everyone around him. So shove off of Evans, or I'll have you spitting slugs again, do you hear?"

Slowly, Snape's mouth closed and hardened into a sneer as he glared up at James, even as the taller boy stood a few centimeters away from his hooked nose. "You're so daft sometimes, it even astounds me."

"You're the one who's mouthing off to one of the school's most proficient duelers," James countered, a grin creeping across his face. "And I've already got a hand on my wand, unlike you."

As Snape's eyes shot down, James pressed his drawn wand on the Slytherin's stomach. Attempting to jerk away, Snape was promptly rendered immobile by James' Freezing Charm, and James slowly coaxed Snape's wand out of his pocket with his free hand.

"You really need to learn to keep a better guard over your stuff," James admonished. Frozen in place, Snape could only glare at James as he twirled the extra wand and pocketed it. "What's the matter, Sniv? Stuck?"

"Boys? Is there something going on over there?" Professor Kettleburn called out next to the unicorn, raising his one hand to shield his eyes.

"Nothing's the matter, Professor!" James answered, turning his head, and Kettleburn joined the circle of girls again. Smirking at Snape, James met the burning in his eyes. "I think I'll hang onto your wand for a bit. It might teach you to keep your ugly nose out of other people's business."

When Snape's eyes widened, James continued, "Oh, I'll return it before your exams. Just keep your eyes out. It might turn up where you least expect it: at the top of the Astronomy Tower, buried near the Quidditch pitch, floating on the lake. And in the meantime, leave Evans and I alone. If you don't . . ." Patting his pocket, he smirked. "Well, I hope you have an extra wand, Snivellus. I wouldn't want yours to end up accidentally snapping in half."

As James released his Freezing Charm, Snape nearly fell over as he stared up at James, the whites of his eyes showing vividly against his greasy black hair. "See you later, greaseball!" James said in parting, waving over his shoulder as he strutted back towards his roommates. James could feel Snape burning a hole in the back of his head with his gaze, but Snape did not call for Professor Kettleburn. When James rejoined his roommates, Remus glanced his way, but he did not say anything before turning back to watch the gaggle of cooing girls.

During the whole of Saturday, James caught several glimpses of Snape's prowling form around the castle hallways, always keeping James within sight while the rest of the school attended to their studies. Although James sent him the occasional wink, he never acknowledged him in front of his roommates, who seemed oblivious to the lurking Slytherin. Eventually, James tired of Snape's stalking and retreated to the Gryffindor common room, where he could not be followed. Remus, however, opted to study in the library while the others returned to Gryffindor Tower, and only Peter had his Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook open as he, James, and Sirius talked.

"A Galleon says that Remus keeps on studying even when he comes back to our room," Sirius said as the common room darkened with the evening. The area was empty now except for the three boys, who still sat by the crackling hearth.

"I'll bet he doesn't," James countered. "The full moon is tomorrow night, remember? He'll have to sleep before he leaves."

"But this is his last chance to study," Sirius argued, propping his feet up on Peter's neighboring chair. "He'll come back from the full moon a mess right before our Charms exam, and he's not going to let any time go to waste. He'll lose two nights of sleep if he has to."

"I wish that he could help me study for the Defense Against the Dark Arts exam," Peter cut in after moving aside his textbook to make room for Sirius. "Aven has hardly taught us anything useful this year! I still don't know how to cast a Healing Spell, and I have no idea what we'll be tested on. He never tells us anything!"

Ignoring Peter's interjection, James said, "Full moon or not, I'm not betting against Remus' marks. He takes school almost as seriously as I take Quidditch!"

As Sirius snorted at James' apt comparison, a soft pattering noise met the boys' ears, and another voice spoke up from inside the room just after. "Black? Hullo? I say, Sirius Black?"

Sitting upright, James glanced around the room with the others, searching for the speaker. The pattering had stopped, and James expected to see a student climbing down from the upstairs dormitories, but he spotted no one in the abandoned common room. Feeling an eerie tingle creep up his arms, he met the others' eyes again.

"Do you suppose it's a ghost?" Peter questioned, his squeaky voice breaking through the silence.

"Nick?" James spoke to the room at large, turning his head again. "Is that you?"

"How does this confounded gadget work? Gah!" the mysterious voice piped up again, and all three boys jumped at the sound. However, as the speaker continued to let out a string of raspy curses, their eyes leapt down to Sirius' pocket. "Black, can you hear me?" the voice echoed up to them, and all three of them seemed to grasp the situation at the same time.

"Mundungus, is that you?" James cried, and the older wizard's voice came back as Sirius fumbled for the two-way mirror in his robes.

"Who else would it be?" Mundungus spat, and James caught a glimpse of the wizard's red hair for the first time as Sirius brought the mirror into the light. "You're the ones that gave this ruddy mirror to me in the first place, remember?"

"What are you calling us for?" Sirius demanded, the others pressing around him as Mundungus' face came into full view. "Have you found Sibuna?"

"I think so," the answer came, and the boys shared grins.

"Where are you?" Sirius questioned, leaping up. "We can fly in tonight!"

"I was directed to some sort of an abandoned warehouse," Mundungus replied, the mirror rotating unsteadily to display a series of images. Two barred windows, a dingy chimney, and a flickering streetlamp flashed before James' eyes. "According to my sources, we should be able to find our man 'ere."

"Have you gone in yet?" Peter asked.

"No, I wanted to call you over first," Mundungus replied.

"Perfect! Just stay put until we get there!" Sirius commanded. "What's your address?"

"373 Bank Street, Portree," Mundungus answered, scratching the back of his neck with his free hand. "But won't it take a while for you to—"

"Wait for us, Mundungus," Sirius growled, cutting him off, and Mundungus stopped scratching. "Portree won't take us longer than a couple of hours to fly to," Sirius said. "Hide yourself near the warehouse, and we'll meet you there as soon as we can."

"If you say so," Mundungus agreed with a sigh, and Sirius pocketed his mirror before turning to the others.

"We've got no time to lose!" he declared. "If all goes well, we can get back before sunup! Come on!"

Without another word, he, James, and Peter ran for the portrait hole, leaving the fire's warmth. Once they reached the bottom of Gryffindor Tower, they turned and dashed silently through the halls, approaching the hidden passage on the first floor. Glancing around to make sure that no one was watching, the boys moved aside the statue of Gregory the Smarmy with their wands and slipped behind the marble. The stone slid back into place without a sound, and they jogged through the tunnel with their wands lit.

Reaching the boulder near the lake in less time than ever before, James and the others clambered into the light of the moon, which looked nearly full when the clouds parted long enough to reveal it. As James and Peter shoved the boulder back over the tunnel, Sirius ripped the Invisibility Cloak off the motorbike and hopped onto the driver's seat.

"Let's hope that no one's watching," he said, revving up the engine with a kick to the pedal. Sputtering to life, the motorbike filled the grounds with a dull roar, the beam from its spotlight shooting across the rippling water. "Grab the Cloak and get in the sidecar!" Sirius told the others.

"Can't Peter ride in there?" James protested, picking up the Cloak and wadding it into his robes' pocket.

"I don't want either of you falling off accidentally," Sirius admitted, sitting back and looking over his shoulder. "It's my first time riding it for real, and we're going to be in the air. Besides, it'll take a while to get there. If any of you fall asleep, I might not be able to catch you in time."

Tempted to point out the impossibility of dozing off with the rumble of the engine, James argued, "You seemed stable enough when you were driving in my yard. I ride a broomstick all the time, why should this be any—"

"Get in the sidecar anyway, just in case," Sirius interrupted, turning forward and gripping the motorbike's handles.

Deciding not to waste any more time, James grimaced and followed Peter into the sidecar, stepping gingerly as to avoid falling over his smaller roommate. Unfortunately, all his care went to ruin when Sirius started across the grass at full throttle, and James felt Peter slam into him at the sudden start. Clutching the rim of the sidecar, he fought against the temptation to close his eyes as they jostled over the grounds. In just a few moments, the gates of Hogwarts had come into view, and the metal bars sparkled in the motorbike's light.

"Aren't you going to bring us up?" James yelled over the noise, eyes wide as they zoomed towards the gates.

"I'm still figuring out how!" Sirius called back. All James could see of his friend was his hand flashing back and forth across the dials in the front. "Try leaning back!" Sirius finally commanded, and the others pressed even harder against the back of the sidecar. About to call off Sirius from the race as the gates loomed overhead, James closed his mouth when his roommate waved for the others to duck down.

"Keep inside!" he warned, and James felt his stomach flip-flop as the motorbike lurched into the air. Paranoid that the sidecar would break apart from the bike in the jump, James clenched his teeth and eyes as Peter let out a squeal, but before they knew it, the motorbike had steadied at a dramatic uphill angle.

Finally daring to open his eyes when they did not come crashing down, James looked over the rim of the sidecar and immediately pulled his head in again as the tip of the Hogwarts gates passed an arm's length beneath the motorbike. Straightening the bike, Sirius caused his passengers to bounce into the air before coming to rest on top of each other, temporarily paralyzed at the bottom of the sidecar. Looking up, James nearly blacked out when he saw that Sirius had released the handlebars and thrust his fists into the air, letting out a resounding crow.

"Yes! I can't believe that worked!" he whooped, and the others gaped at the front of the motorbike as it jiggled back and forth.

"Shouldn't you steer?" Peter yelled, and Sirius flashed a frown over his shoulder.

"I know what I'm doing!" he retorted, and he brought his wand out of his pocket to place it across his flattened palm. "_Point me!_" he said, and his wand spun around until halting in a seemingly random direction. However, Sirius seemed to understand it, and he jerked the motorbike around, throwing James and Peter to the side. "Now we wait," Sirius explained, and those were the last words spoken between the three roommates for the next two hours.

After several minutes of chilly air flying against his face and arms, James wrapped his robes more tightly around him, and he noted with a grimace that his back had not taken well to the cold metal of the sidecar. Changing positions every so often, he tried to ease the aching of his spine, and he eventually hunkered against Peter to use him as a buffer. Although his fingers and nose had started to go numb, his back ceased to scream at him, and the added warmth of Peter's body helped fight against the biting wind.

Unfortunately, the length of the ride soon brought back James' physical discomfort, and he ended up moving several more times. It seemed that he had to choose between pressing against the hard metal or sitting up to face the nipping wind, and the whole experience quickly turned miserable. The ride dragged on endlessly, and Sirius looked no more comfortable than the others, crouched against the cold air. Miraculously, the sky stayed just as dark as ever while the hours ticked on, but the motorbike passed over several towns lit up from the street windows. As the time passed, James wondered if they had left Portree behind already, but he decided not to question his friend as he shifted positions once again.

"There it is!" Sirius' voice came cutting in after hours of silence, and James jerked upright to peer over the edge of the sidecar with Peter. Beneath them, a dark town began to grow as Sirius tilted the motorbike downward, and James let the wind brush his hair from his face as his stomach rose.

"How can you tell that we're in the right place?" Peter called over the motorbike's roar.

"Sniff-Out Spell," Sirius replied vaguely, patting his pocketed wand. "Oh, could one of you hide the motorbike? We don't want any Muggles to see us."

Pulling out his Invisibility Cloak, James flung it over the motorbike with the help of Peter, and they concealed most of the contraption from view. Unfortunately, the Cloak made for an awkward covering for the boys, and Sirius had to wear it like a cape in order to properly track their descent, leaving his head and the front of the motorbike visible. As the lightless houses grew closer, James wondered if the inhabitants could see the underside of the bike as well, but he had no way to remedy their problem as they continued to lower towards the rooftops.

Eventually, the motorbike bumped onto solid ground again, rattling and skipping over large sections of the pavement before Sirius finally brought the wheels securely against the earth. Reaching over his head, James unwrapped his Invisibility Cloak from the bike, hoping that no one was watching from the nearby windows. After only half a block, Sirius coaxed the bike to a halt and looked up at the surrounding buildings.

"Does this look like the right place?" he asked the others, and James glanced up at the gaslight flickering above their heads. By the small circle of illumination it provided, James could see the outside of a dusty brick building to their right, its wide metal door sprinkled with faded graffiti. The structure looked spacious enough to be used for storage, but by the look of the barred windows, it had not been opened for quite some time.

"I recognize it," James answered, eyeing the heavy barrier. "But where's Mundungus?"

Before any of the others could reply, the sound of shuffling footsteps drew their attention away from the warehouse, and the boys looked over their shoulders to spot Mundungus waddling out from the shadows, the fresh smell of tobacco hanging onto his clothes. Holding a bottle in his fist, the wizard nodded at the boys with a greasy smile and gestured at the building behind them with his half-filled prize.

"I was wonderin' when you was goin' to show," he greeted, his raspy voice sounding less harsh than usual. Pausing with one eye closed, he lifted the bottle to his lips. "Took you long enough," he added before taking a swig.

"What are you drinking?" Sirius demanded. "You were supposed to wait for us here!"

"And I was!" Mundungus argued, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. "I just decided to take a short stroll through town while I waited. There are all sorts of places awake at this hour," he informed the boys, raising the bottle again. "You just 'ave to know where to look."

"Put it down!" James said, clambering out of the sidecar. "We have work to do!"

"He's right!" Sirius agreed, jumping off the motorbike as Peter followed. "Let go of the bottle!"

Unable to rebel against a direct order from Sirius, Mundungus let the glass fall from his hands with a grumble, and the glass hit the stone street with a clatter. As a strong-scented liquid gushed out of the neck, Peter glanced up at the warehouse.

"How are we going to get in there?" he questioned, and Sirius thought for a moment before turning to Mundungus.

"You!" he spoke up, making the stubby-legged wizard jump. "You're the only one of age. Use your wand to open the door."

Although he scowled at Sirius' commanding tone, Mundungus took out his wand and waved it at the metal barrier. "_Alohomora!_" Despite its formidable appearance, the door swung right open, and the small company glanced between themselves, all wearing similar expressions.

"I didn't think that would work," James admitted, scratching the back of his head.

"Maybe whoever made this door only wanted wizards to get through easily," Peter guessed, and James briefly marveled at his insight.

"Lead the way," Sirius told Mundungus, shooing him along with his hand.

"But shouldn't one of you be the first to go inside?" Mundungus protested, taking a step back. "You're the ones with the problem to work out, after all, and—"

"Just light your wand!" James interrupted, shoving the wizard into the building. "And give me my mirror back!" he added, making Mundungus hiss and rummage in his pocket for the two-way mirror.

After he had returned it to James, Mundungus cast the Wand-Lighting Charm and led the others into the musty warehouse. Stepping after him, the boys kept close by his side as a series of large boxes was revealed, stacked only two compartments high due to their massive size and weight. Nearly the whole room was lined with the wooden containers, creating a low-hedged maze that rose from the cement floor. Longer than it was wide, the single room was completely windowless, and James guessed that it took up the entirety of the building. As the bulb of Mundungus' light trekked between the boxes, a droplet of water hit James' nose, and he glanced up only to have two more splash against his glasses from a crack in the ceiling.

"Is this all there is?" Peter whispered, almost holding onto James' robes as he pressed against him.

"This can't be it!" Sirius said, turning to Mundungus. "You said that Sibuna would be here!"

"Hold onto your 'at," Mundungus complained, glaring at Sirius. "If you let a wizard sniff around a little, we might be able to find something."

Hushed, the boys watched as Mundungus paced forward through the maze of crates, muttering under his breath. After a few minutes of bated breath and quiet cursing, Mundungus kicked at the side of a single box; as if released from an invisible restraint, the boys leapt forward and stood at his side, staring down at the crate for some sort of sign.

"Magic's been 'ere," Mundungus stated simply before bending down and tapping around the wooden planks with his wand. His movements seemed random and haphazard, and James hoped that he knew what he was doing.

As Mundungus mumbled a few incantations, the others stood back and watched for a short period. Their attention soon began to wander, and Peter started to play with the hem of his sleeve as Sirius tapped his foot. Clenching his teeth to keep back an onslaught of questions, James frowned and pushed back his glasses. A few minutes later, Peter began to trace the wood grains on the crate.

"Well?" James finally let slip, and Mundungus sat back with a hint of a smile.

"Sorry, lads," he said, not sounding sorry at all, "but I can't find a way in. Perhaps we'll just have to leave and try again some other—"

Mid-rise, Mundungus suddenly fell to the floor again as Peter's finger brushed against a loose nail, pushing it into the wood and sending the side of the box crashing down onto their guide. Peter yelped and drew his hand back amid Mundungus' strangled screech, and James fought the urge to laugh as the dust cleared around the wizard's flattened body.

"A little 'elp would be appreciated!" Mundungus snapped, and the three boys hoisted the wooden plank off of him as he struggled to his feet. Standing upright, Mundungus rubbed his robes of splinters, only succeeding to make himself look even more disheveled in the light of his wand. "Do you three normally stand there like fools when someone takes a fall like that?" he demanded when he had finished. "No wonder you're so 'ard to like!"

"Where does it lead?" Sirius interrupted, staring down at the opened crate. With its one side missing, it yawned like a cave opening to reveal a flight of stairs, the lower half concealed in shadow.

"There's only one way to find out, isn't there?" James spoke up, starting forward. Crouching to duck underneath the top of the crate, he placed his foot experimentally onto the first step and felt solid stone. As Sirius jumped into the opening after him, Mundungus sputtered from above.

"Shouldn't we wait for Sibuna 'ere?" he asked, Peter frozen by his side. "It's going to be daylight in a few hours! He's bound to come up!"

"We don't have that kind of time!" James answered, turning his head. "Someone's going to miss us! Come on!"

"But I—"

"Get down here!" Sirius snapped, and Mundungus chewed his lip before slowly dragging his feet after the boys. Still frozen, Peter stood at the top of the stairs and gave a whimper.

"Can't we just wait?" he pleaded, but James waved him forward before descending.

"Come on, Peter! You'll be left behind!"

Giving a groan, Peter slid into the crate behind Mundungus as the small party trooped downwards. Watching his feet by the light of Mundungus' wand, James kept his eyes trained on each step ahead of him as the air grew frigid on his face. After the fiftieth step, he lost count of the distance to the surface, and he realized with a crease of his brow that getting back to the top would be hard work if they had to move quickly. Thankfully, shortly after his realization, his feet hit against the bottom of the stairs, and he listened to the footsteps of the others echo loudly as they clambered to a halt.

The group had entered a wide chamber, which extended even longer than the storage room above. Indeed, upon taking a few steps forward, James thought that the underground space resembled more of a hallway than a room; several doorless openings branched off to the left and right from the main chamber, which led to a fountain of blue flame in the distance. Everything was carved out of stone, and the pattering of the visitors' feet bounced off the walls and filled the hallway.

Although the four of them peered down each black doorway as they passed, no one spoke before they had reached the end of the hall, which curved in a circle with tunnels branching off radially. Where one of the doorways was supposed to be, an unlit fireplace stood in its place directly across from the small group of adventurers. Drab and dark like the rest of the cavern, the fireplace stood in stark contrast with the central fountain, which crackled with blue flame where water should have been spilling out of the top.

"Should we wait here, or should we start looking down the tunnels?" Sirius finally spoke, facing James. Rubbing the back of his neck, James glanced over his shoulder at the hallway behind them.

"How many people can this place hold?" he asked aloud, staring at the space.

"Maybe we should just wait upstairs," Peter supplied, standing the farthest from the light-giving fountain. Gesturing at the dozens of passages, he asked, "Where would we even start?"

About to respond, James stared down the hallway where they had come from, but a sudden roar of flame interrupted his train of thought. Whirling around, James jumped back as a wall of green fire burst out of the fireplace just a few steps away. Peter gave a high yell and tumbled back into Mundungus, which stopped the wizard from firing his wand, and James stared at the fireplace with his heart in his mouth. Just a moment after it had flared up, the green flames died down with a rush of air, and a single person came stumbling out into the corridor.

"Remus?" James, Sirius, and Peter exclaimed together. Indeed, it was Remus; his hair was flung up out of place much like James', and he spun his head every which way before turning to his roommates.

"What are you doing here?" James demanded.

"That's what I came to ask you!" Remus responded, his mouth agape. "Why did you run off in the middle of the night before our exams? And why didn't you tell anyone where you were going? Who is that?"

Ending with a pointed finger at Mundungus, he caught his breath while the others exchanged rapid glances. "Er, he's my uncle," Sirius quickly answered. "Alphard."

"Where exactly are we?" Remus asked, glancing up at the fountain with his hands on his knees.

"373—" James began, but Remus cut him off with a shake of his head.

"373 Bank Street, Portree. I know _that_, but _where_ are we?"

"We're underneath some sort of warehouse," Peter supplied from behind Sirius, but James' mouth had fallen open.

"How did you know that address?"

"Dedalus Diggle overheard you talking in the common room on the way down from his dormitory," Remus explained, brushing himself off. "He didn't think much of it, but he started to get worried when you didn't come back, and he told me as soon as I returned from the library. Which leads me to the question . . ." Trailing off, he crossed his arms as his jaw hardened, and the others winced as they prepared for the outburst.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" Shrinking, James exchanged looks with the others as Remus' eyes blazed, almost yellow in the strange lighting. "YOU CAN'T JUST LEAVE HOGWARTS RIGHT BEFORE OUR EXAMS! I DON'T CARE IF YOU THINK YOU HAD A GOOD REASON! YOU'VE DONE MENTAL THINGS BEFORE, BUT THIS ONE TAKES THE CAKE!"

Holding the bridge of his nose as he took a deep breath, Remus closed his eyes. "I told Diggle to stay quiet about the whole thing while I intercepted you. Thankfully, Professor Binns always has a bowl of Floo powder on his mantelpiece, and I was able to reach you before you did anything truly mental. Now if we can just get out of here, maybe you won't end up costing us our entire collection of House points—"

Before James or the others could say anything in their defense, the sound of running footsteps echoed from the surrounding tunnels, and Remus was cut off as dozens of shadowy figures began pouring out of the passageways. Crouched in a run, the newcomers did not slow as they broke into the circular corridor, and James did not hesitate for longer than a second before he turned and ran for the distant staircase with the others. Quickly pulling ahead, he could not see if his roommates were keeping pace behind him, but he heard their feet drumming against the stone floor as several guttural yells echoed from further behind. Mundungus' wand was still lit, and the beam of light jumped up and down as James tore down the hall, his eyes locked on the staircase at the end.

Just when he began to hope that they would make it, a figure jumped out of a black passageway to the left and grabbed at his arm. Yanking away from the sharp grip, James cried out as his attacker's nails tore his skin, and he nearly crashed into Peter as he dove to the other side of the tunnel. Thrown into the others' path, he clutched his arm as a few spots of blood welled to the surface, and he froze as the man who had grabbed him cut off his view of the staircase. James' stomach dropped as several more people emerged from the doorways beyond his attacker, but he did not have long to reflect on his fate as an ear-splitting crack sounded from beside him. Spinning around, he counted the heads of his friends, and he realized with a cold chill in his stomach that Mundungus had vanished into thin air.

"THAT COWARDLY PIECE OF—" Sirius began, but he stopped short as their pursuers caught up from behind.

"One of them's Disapparated! Quick! Grab their wands!"

Shrieking, Peter fell back as a woman in the front leapt over him and wrestled him to the ground, quickly retrieving his wand and holding it aloft. Although Sirius and Remus drew theirs, the horde of attackers soon bested them using nothing but their clawed hands, and James felt a pair of strong arms lift him into his air by his wrists, keeping him from using his wand on his friends' assailants. Kicking in retaliation, he made contact with a knee, and the man holding him let go of James long enough to snatch his wand away and throw him to the wall.

Feeling his ribs jolt uncomfortably in his chest as he hit the stone, James gasped for breath as he struggled onto his hands and knees next to his roommates, who were also on the floor. Breathing rapidly, Sirius and Remus pressed themselves against the wall beside him, but Peter was lying on his back a short distance away, the same witch panting with a smile just a few centimeters above the boy's face.

"Let him go!" James yelled, his blood boiling to his ears, and Peter cracked open his tightly-shut eyes to look at him. The people gathered around only laughed hoarsely, and the woman holding down Peter turned her smile on James unblinkingly. Barely choking back a gasp in time, James saw that her face was marred by several gashes, and he had to look away from her intense gaze after realizing that her right ear was missing.

As their captors continued to chuckle, the roommates said nothing, their eyes darting about the dark corridor. After a period, James' eyes began to adjust to the gloom of the cavern, and he surmised that the majority of their aggressors were rather short and haggard, although a few taller people dotted the crowd. Echoing eerily through the tunnel, their laughter dragged on without end, and James thought that he might burst if none of them spoke.

Finally, a man spoke up from the back of the gathering. "They look lost!"

"They isn't, though," another answered, and the crowd grew louder as several people began to talk back and forth. "No one gets in 'ere by accident."

"What if the older one comes back?"

"He won't," someone said, and the discoursing voices died down as the crowd parted for a large wizard with a scraggly salt-and-pepper beard. "He's a spineless scamp from outer London—he's done some deals for me in the past. Reckon that he's brought these four as a gift?"

As the passageway erupted into catcalls and jeers again, James looked up into the grinning face of Sibuna.


	17. 373 Bank Street

**373 Bank Street**

While their captors laughed, Peter whimpered and closed his eyes again. Glancing at Sirius and Remus, James quickly adjusted his glasses to better watch the people standing above them, who shoved each other in their mirth.

"If the stumpy little man did leave 'em for us, you'll have to thank him!" the witch poised on top of Peter said, cackling.

"There's four of them!" another high voice piped up. "A good deal, that!"

"A little older than we like, but nothing too harmful," someone else added, and Sibuna flashed a grin of his long, yellow teeth. The stench of rotten meat came to James' nose, and he grimaced before speaking up.

"You know who . . . I mean . . . you're Sibuna?"

Growing quiet for a moment to peer at him, the group waited for Sibuna's next move. "Did he tell you everything about us, then?" Sibuna asked loudly, and James drew back at his sharp tone as the hulking man began to advance. "Told you what he was selling me, did he? What else did he say? What did he guess?"

"I—I don't know, sir!" James responded quickly, and he finally dared to breathe again as the wizard straightened.

"_Sir?_" he guffawed, and a few of the crowd members behind him snorted, spat, and snickered in equal measure. "Now that's a first! I've heard brute, soulless, wretch—the whole lot before, but _sir?_" As the others laughed openly behind him, he grinned again and let another wave of nausea overtake James. "What's your name?"

Turning his head to gag silently, James composed himself and choked, "Er, Kennedy. Cassius Kennedy."

"And your friends?" Sibuna growled, and James stared at his roommates as his head spun.

"They're . . . er . . ."

"Not their names, brat!" Again, the rest of the tunnel burst into jeering, and James and his friends sank against the wall. "How did you get here? Are there any more of you?"

"No, it's only us," James stammered out, but he quickly corrected himself and pointed at Sirius when Remus turned towards him incredulously. "But his uncle will be looking for us!" Their laughter suddenly quieting, the watching throng drank in James with their glowing eyes, and he wondered if he had made a mistake.

"His uncle . . ." Sibuna repeated slowly, turning his eyes towards Sirius, and James wondered if he would leap at him before he broke into a grin. "Too bad that he won't be able to find you." As the others cheered behind him, he crossed his arms and stated, "No one ever gets in here except our kind, and fools unfortunate enough to enter never breathe a word about it. They fear our reach."

"And rightly so!" a high voice cried from the back, and the crowd sniggered again, exchanging a series of shoves.

"Should we lock 'em up?" the witch holding Peter inquired, smirking up at Sibuna. "It won't be long to wait now—they have terrible timing."

"What do you say, _sirs_?" Sibuna spoke up, raising his hands towards the others. "Should we have a bit of fun tonight?" Whooping, the spectators jostled each other and started to advance on the boys, and James pushed himself farther against the wall as Sirius cried out.

"Wait, what happens tonight?"

Bumping to a halt, the crowd of people grinned at him as they shifted back and forth, now much closer than before. James got his first good look at them, and he realized that Peter's captor was not the odd one out among the company; all of the leering faces showed evidence of cruel scuffles, some with jagged scars that disfigured the shapes of their jaws and large chunks of skin taken out of their noses. A stone suddenly dropped into James' stomach, and he felt his mouth go dry as he stared up at Sibuna. As a bead of sweat crept past James' hairline, the towering wizard grinned down at Sirius.

"Have you been watching the moon for the last few nights?"

The throng began to howl with laughter again, taking delight in the pale faces of their prisoners. Clenching his fists to keep himself from glancing at his friends, James steeled his body against the wall.

"So you understand now?" Sibuna chortled. "Tonight is the full moon, gents, and you just stumbled into where we werewolves call home!"

"You're—you're all werewolves?" James managed to force out, his voice hoarse. "Sibuna—all of you? You live here?"

"Our home is ever-changing," Sibuna answered, tilting his head with a smile. "We have to keep under the public eye. This isn't even our largest sanctuary, not by a long shot. And as an aside," he added, flashing his teeth, "you can stop calling me Sibuna. That's merely a name I use when I have to deal with people like your runaway friend. Everyone here knows me as Fenrir Greyback, the most powerful werewolf ever to live in the British Isles!"

As the other werewolves cheered, the one holding Peter lifting her fist with a yell, James gasped out a response. "But I thought that werewolves didn't—I mean, I thought that you didn't purposely attack people!"

Narrowing his eyes, Greyback stared down at him. "You didn't? What sort of stories were you told as an infant?" Talking over each other, the werewolves behind him conversed loudly as Greyback spat to the side. "Did your parents try to teach you a _fair_ view of us? Is that it? Well, let me correct you, Kennedy," he said, crouching down until his face rested only a hand's breadth away from James. Overcome with his reek, James held his breath as the werewolf leaned closer and sneered. "We _live_ for blood. That's all this world wishes upon us, so why would we want anything different for them?" Just when James thought that he would vomit from the stench, Greyback straightened and laughed. "_That's_ the truth, whelp. Don't you forget it!"

"So you really are allied with the Death Eaters!" Sirius accused, gritting his teeth as the werewolves stared back at him. "You've been inflicting people to help them?"

"That's right, handsome," Greyback replied, his lips curling into a smile. "The Dark Lord pays our kind a little more heed than the rest of the wizarding world, even if it's only because of our . . . _unusual_ abilities." As the other werewolves laughed, he explained, "We're hired to hunt out Muggle supporters, Mudbloods, defectors, and the like. If there's ever a family that angers the Dark Lord, we're the ones that go after them." Smiling, Greyback picked at his teeth with a long, yellow fingernail. "Of course, in doing so, we get what we really want out of it. Most of the people you see here were turned at around five or six years of age."

"You attack kids?" James exclaimed, and Remus gave a dry sob as Greyback leered.

"I've always considered that the best way to do it!" he gloated. "Turn them while they're young, and teach them the true colors of wizarding kind! Isn't that right, Louella?"

Smirking, the witch crouched over Peter faced the boys sitting against the wall, and James noticed for the first time how young her features looked beneath her wounds. In fact, he guessed that she was only a few years older than him, perhaps still young enough to attend Hogwarts. As he glanced around the rest of the corridor, James realized what he had originally mistaken for the werewolves' short stature was caused by the relative youth of the mob. At standing height, James might have overtaken a few of the crowd, with only a handful of older individuals dotting the cavern. Still, even the older werewolves were thin and wiry, and Greyback was easily the largest of the group. Spotting a boy much smaller than himself with a makeshift eyepatch, James glanced and tried to ignore his shaking hands.

"That's right," Louella answered Greyback, grinning. "It's best to collect them when they're at their most impressionable age." Glancing back down at Peter, she noted, "Unfortunately, these four are a bit past that, but it only makes them stronger for the transformation."

"I'd almost like to lock them up separately," Greyback said, smirking down at Peter as he whimpered. "Pair each of them with one of us and see how well they fight to make it through the night! But I can't imagine this one lasting that long—he'd likely only turn out a bloody mess on the floor. What do you think, boy? Think you can put up a fight?"

"Leave him alone!" James yelled, clenching his fists as a tear rolled down Peter's cheek. Howling with laughter, the werewolves slapped their sides and shoved each other as Greyback stalked up to Remus instead.

"Or what about this one? Looks awfully close to falling to the floor," he provoked, grabbing Remus' hair in a fist and pulling his head back. Refusing to look up, Remus swallowed as the werewolf loomed over him. "I'd like to sink my teeth into that white neck of his . . ."

Trailing off, Greyback frowned down at Remus, only turning to Sirius when he yelled at him. "We're not afraid of you!"

Joining Louella and the other werewolves in raucous laughter, Greyback bared his yellow teeth at him. "Aren't you, now?" he mocked, and he reached down and grabbed Sirius by his neck in a swift, fluid motion. Swinging above the ground, Sirius struggled to remove Greyback's hands as the werewolf grinned. "As much as I'd like to tear through that pretty face of yours, I think I'll save you all for tonight. Put their wands together, fellows!" he commanded the other werewolves, who quickly tossed the boys' wands to each other. "You can claim them for your own after tonight!" Turning to his captives with a flash of his rancid teeth, he grinned. "I'd like to give them a fighting chance—after all, between the four, at least one of them is bound to survive the night." As James and the other boys cowered on the floor, Greyback raised a hand to his followers. "Take them down!"

Snapping their jaws with a cheer, several of the oldest werewolves bounded forward and yanked James and Remus down the corridor after a rough game of back-and-forth tugging. Louella got up and forced Peter to stand with a little less brutality than the other boys received, but Peter trembled all the same. After watching the proceedings with a grin, Greyback turned and lugged Sirius down the hall.

Crying out every time that a loose stone or stray kick hit against their ribs, James, Sirius, and Remus struggled pointlessly while Peter stumbled along behind them, crying quietly as Louella marched him along at the point of a wand. Behind her, another werewolf clutched the boys' wands in his fist, and he treated them with about as much care as their owners, nearly snapping them several times as he laughed and bounced against the other werewolves.

When the group had returned to the flaming fountain, Greyback turned abruptly and headed down a corridor directly across from the lonely fireplace. The werewolves did not seem to need light to know where they were going, and they continued chattering as first Sirius then the others were dragged down a rough flight of stairs. In the darkness, a few different feet knocked against James as he fought to keep his head from smashing open against the stone steps, and he almost lost his glasses when someone kicked the frames in their hurry.

Whenever James thought that the jolting pain in his head and ribs could not get any worse, he was proven wrong as the staircase continued winding down. Every step became an agonizing ordeal, and he allowed a few moans to escape his lips under the commotion, hoping that the stairs would come to an end. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the parade finally dropped onto another floor, and James found temporary relief in the flat surface until the werewolf dragging him tossed him over on his old bruises. Wincing, James bit his tongue as he recovered next to where Remus had been thrown.

"We'll keep them here until tomorrow night," Greyback dictated, and James rolled over to face him. After Louella had forced Peter forward, Greyback held Sirius back for a moment with a smile. "Don't get too comfortable, good-looking. I'll be back."

Tripping over James' leg as he was shoved backwards, Sirius fell over and scrambled away from Greyback as the brutish man laughed and slammed a caged door behind him, encasing the boys in a small room of stone and metal. Cackling, most of the other werewolves followed Greyback down the hallway, but a few pressed their leering faces against the bars.

"How do you like the guest room?" one of them mocked.

"Feeling cozy?" a young boy jeered, baring his teeth. Too fatigued to sit up, James lay still as the werewolf holding their wands placed them on a table on the other side of the bars.

"Don't lose them!" the wizard snapped at a few of the younger werewolves when they rushed forward to pick them up. "You heard Greyback—you can have them after tomorrow!"

"But they'll be gone by then!" one of the smallest girls complained, waving around Peter's wand like a wooden sword. "The older ones always get them first!"

"That's because they've waited longer than you," Louella admonished her. "It's only fair."

Grumbling, the girl turned away as one of the older werewolves snarled at Louella. "You're being soft with them," he accused. "They shouldn't get to play with other people's wands if they're not going to keep them."

"Shove off and let them have a little fun, Baines!" Louella snapped back, baring her teeth. "I don't remember you being so irritable when I nearly clawed your leg off last month." Scowling, Baines turned away as Louella turned to a boy playing with James' wand. "Careful!" she hissed. "You don't want to explain a broken wand to Greyback, do you?" Immediately lowering his hand, the boy growled at another child when he snatched James' wand from his grasp, and the two engaged in a short shoving match as Baines glowered.

"They're too young for magic, anyway," he muttered before addressing Louella with a smirk. "Glad to see that you hold some respect for Greyback, at least. Scared that he'll finally grow tired of your coddling?"

"I'm only scared for your wellbeing when Greyback finds out that you've been threatening the young ones," Louella replied, sneering, and a few other werewolves chuckled. Gritting his teeth, Baines slunk away from the cage bars with one last glare aimed at Louella. Holding his gaze until he left the room, Louella watched the roughhousing kids until a small girl broke away from the other children and tugged on her sleeve.

"It—it hurts," the girl complained, holding her stomach, and Louella's gaze softened.

"I know," she said, taking the girl's hand and leading her after the other werewolves. "I think that we still have a bit of Sanguine Solvent left. Maxwell brought in another batch of Mandrake leaves a couple weeks ago, and if these enchanted cauldrons work the way that they're supposed to, it should be enough to quell the ache until nightfall."

As she and the little girl walked towards a tunnel entrance, a few of the other children abandoned their captives' wands and scampered after them, chattering amongst themselves. Before running to the tunnel, two boys stopped in front of the cage bars and stared at James and the others.

"Pathetic," one of them spat, and the two shoved each other as they turned away and ran off after Louella. Their attention brought to the cage, a few of the other children stayed behind and made faces at the prisoners, laughing and beating the bars with their stolen wands. Closing his eyes, James did his best to block out the sounds of their jeering and Peter's quiet sobbing behind him.

James did not know how much time had passed since he and his roommates had first arrived at the warehouse, but he guessed that their time was running low judging from how Remus was deteriorating. Remus had started off their capture in silence, huddled against the far corner of the cage, but he had begun to mumble under his breath and stare blankly ahead after several hours, almost as if he had forgotten about the others in the room. The only light coming into the cage came from a single blue torch, which remained unchanged throughout the night and into the next day, so the boys had no way to tell the time.

Every now and then, a series of barking laughs would echo from the nearby passages, making James' heart jump. The group of young werewolves had eventually grown bored of their captives and tromped upstairs, leaving behind the pilfered wands on the nearby table. But until a few minutes ago, James did not have the chance to confer to his friends, because a few of the older werewolves returned to watch them through the cage bars. Taking turns to leer and make catcalls, they had cycled in and out of the outer room all day, and only now had the boys been left alone.

Swallowing as best he could with his abnormally dry throat, James released his one-handed grip from one of the cage's bars and turned to face the others. Pacing back and forth like he had been for the last hour, Sirius paid him no heed as Remus rocked back and forth on the ground, breathing in short bursts. Peter had stopped crying, but his tears had left descending lines on his dusty face, and he glanced at Remus every few seconds from the opposite corner.

After looking over his shoulder once more to make sure that they were alone, James cleared his throat. "We have to get out of here," he stated, and both Sirius and Peter turned to him, although the former kept pacing. Purposely looking away from Remus, James continued, "We're almost out of time, so we've got to act now. I just need you to think of a way to escape from Portree."

"How about this cage?" Sirius asked, letting out a forced laugh as he walked back and forth. "That seems a mite more important, doesn't it?"

Reaching into his pocket, James pulled out Snape's wand. "I have this," he explained, and Peter gasped as Sirius broke his steady rhythm to examine the wand.

"Whose is it?" he questioned, all the sarcasm in his voice gone.

"Snape's. I've had it in my pocket all this time. The werewolves never thought to check me after taking my wand."

"Well," Sirius sighed, raising a hand to scratch the back of his neck with a small smile, "this certainly changes things. My motorbike should still be parked outside, if we can get through unseen."

"That's the best part," James said, reaching into his other pocket and bringing out his Invisibility Cloak.

Jumping up, Peter clapped his hands and immediately brought them to his sides again as the noise echoed through the room. "I forgot you still had that!" he whispered loudly, grinning.

"But will it be enough to cover all four of us?" Sirius questioned, and the other two slouched as they looked at Remus. Their friend had not looked up yet, although he murmured with more urgency in between shivers.

"It'll have to be enough," James answered. "It's all we've got. You two can grab your wands as soon as I open the door, and be ready to use them." Lowering his voice, he shot another look at Remus and said, "I think that we might have to do most of the dueling if it comes to that."

Nodding, Sirius and Peter stood by the bars as James walked to Remus' side and dropped to a crouch. "Hey, Remus," he coaxed, tilting his head to look into his eyes, but Remus continued to stare at the floor. "Remus, you've got to listen to me," James tried again, speaking firmly. "We're going to get ourselves out of here, but you have to stand up. Can you walk? Remus? Are you listening? Can you stand up?"

Staring at him, James paused and wondered if his words had had any effect. After a lengthy pause, Remus twitched and looked up at James. Breaking into a smile, James leaned closer and took Remus by the arm.

"We're going to try and escape, okay? I have a wand with me, and we can use my Invisibility Cloak to sneak upstairs. There's a ride waiting for us at the surface. Do you understand? Can you walk for me?"

Remus' eyes broke away, and he gave a small nod. Standing, James helped pull Remus to his feet and led him towards the others, who stood waiting by the front of the cage. Taking the Invisibility Cloak from James, Sirius nodded towards their wands sitting on the table outside.

"We have to move quickly. Once they realize that we aren't here, they'll be scouring the place for us."

As Peter gulped, James lifted Snape's wand and aimed it at the cage door. "_Alohomora!_" Jumping in his hand as if attempting to escape, the wand nevertheless buckled and caused the door to spring open, squealing on its rusty hinges. Grabbing the door to ease its progress, Sirius allowed the others outside to grab their wands. Standing watch, James turned his head at a faraway thudding sound and pocketed Snape's wand in favor of his.

"Do you think that you can remember the way back?" James asked the others.

Nodding, Sirius pointed at an adjoining passageway. "I think so. It wasn't very complicated coming down, if uncomfortable."

"Get in," James commanded, raising the Invisibility Cloak over his head.

Rushing underneath, Sirius, Peter, and Remus huddled closely and allowed the Cloak to fall. Frowning, James saw that the edge of the fabric hung just above their ankles, but he had no time to worry as he shuffled towards the passageway that Sirius had indicated. Stopping just in front of the doorway to listen, he stared up at the shadowy flight of steps before glancing over his shoulder at the others.

"There's only just enough room for us all to fit," he said. "If anyone comes from upstairs, we're going to collide. Be ready to use your wands."

"Let's get this done with quickly," Sirius responded, and the boys started up the winding stairs at a jog.

After a minute or so, they had to slow a bit to catch their breaths, which seemed to echo at a dangerous volume up the stairs. Concluding a whispered conversation between James, Sirius, and Peter, they continued to climb at a slower pace that gradually morphed into a tiptoe, partially out of fatigue but also in apprehension of reaching the surface. The journey to the lower floor had seemed unbearably long, and James began to think the same of the way back. He reminded himself that they were progressing much more slowly the second time, pausing every now and again to listen to noises from above, but his heart fluttered faster with each passing minute; every second they spent climbing was a second closer to having their disappearance discovered.

Following an anxious period of silent climbing, James was finally able to hear an exchange of voices, although the words were muffled and indecipherable. Having relied mostly on feeling their way up the walls of the stairwell, the boys moved faster as the blue light of the stone fountain flickered into the passageway. Upon spotting the top of the stairs, James stopped the others and bent forward to peer around the corner, glimpsing several werewolves gathered in the corridor leading to the fountain.

"I don't reckon that the Death Eaters are going to let us have our way anytime soon," one of the werewolves spoke to his nearest companion, massaging his bare foot as he sat against the wall. "Can't expect any respect from them, see."

"For all their talk, they really don't give a damn about us, do they?" the other snorted, wiping his face with his sleeve.

"As long as they depend on us for blackmail, we'll stay in good shape," another of them spoke.

"Hopefully they won't rely too much on any _alternatives_," the first werewolf commented, curling his lip. "They won't be nearly as effective as we are, even if they don't have to wait until the full moon to—"

At the same time, both the werewolves and the eavesdropping boys jumped as a loud clamor of voices came from down the stairs, ending with a howl. Pressing against the wall, James shared a wide-eyed glance with his roommates as someone spoke from the outside corridor.

"It's them kids!"

"They got out? How?" another snarled.

"Well, they isn't gettin' far!"

Throwing another glance down the hall, James watched as the werewolves leapt to their feet and raced towards the fountain, a few of them ducking down closer passageways before they could reach the boys' hiding place. Looking back at the others, James yanked off the Invisibility Cloak and stuffed it into his pocket.

"There aren't that many of them!" he hissed as Remus and Peter shied from the top of the staircase. "Come on, we can take them! I'm counting on you!"

Whipping out his wand with the hope that the others would do the same, James shot out of the passageway and faced the group of oncoming werewolves, who skidded to a stop as they spotted him. "_Flipendo!_" James shouted, and the front werewolf fell while the others bared their teeth and raced forward.

Jumping out to join James, Sirius raised his wand and yelled, "_Stupefy!_" Ducking to the side, the lead werewolf misdirected the jet of red light to his arm, but he still yelped as his body was slammed backwards.

As Sirius downed him with another spell, the other werewolves slowed and drew their wands as Remus and Peter both appeared from the staircase, their wands in hand. In a few seconds, the room was lit up with an array of red, purple, and blue jinxes that rocketed between both parties.

"_Impedimenta!_"

"_Depulso!_"

"_Confringo!_"

"_Locomotor Mortis!_"

In a matter of moments, the duel had ended, James and his friends coming out as the victors. The element of surprise had been on their side, but James knew that their luck would not last; even now he could hear several more voices shouting from the tunnel behind him. As he and the others started to run towards the stairwell at the end of the corridor, they had to fight off a handful of enemies who clambered out of the adjoining passageways.

"_Petrificus Totalus!_" James exclaimed while his roommates fired spells behind him, and the werewolves hit the ground before they could take more than a single bound in their direction. Panting, James halted again as Sirius blasted another two werewolves with Stunning Spells when they leapt out of a nearby doorway.

"We'll never make it through there!" Peter panicked, and James eyed the dozens of doorways between them and the exit with a sinking feeling in his chest. Even as Peter spoke, he could hear several more shouts coming from the passages ahead, and he faced the others as his skull pounded.

"Any ideas?" James asked, clutching his wand as the yelling drew nearer from all directions. Lowering his head, Sirius glanced away as Remus stared hollowly ahead. Gritting his teeth, James demanded, "Come on! There's got to be a way out!"

Suddenly, Remus' eyes shot up and refocused, and he mumbled something to himself before stuffing his hand into his pocket. "I—I have this!" he announced, thrusting his trembling fist towards James. Reaching out, James watched as what looked like a pile of sand fall into his palm, and he squinted at the green color.

"Floo powder?" he asked.

"I—I was going to bring you back," Remus stammered, staring at the grains left in his shaking hand. "There—there should be enough."

Clenching his fist around the Floo powder, James wrapped Remus in a fierce hug. "Remus, you're a genius! Why didn't you just say so?"

As Remus smiled slightly, Sirius jerked James away. "There's no time! Let's go!"

Running back to the flaming fountain, the four boys raced towards the empty fireplace on the left side of the circular cavern, their feet pounding as the sounds of snarling grew louder behind them. Upon reaching the abandoned hearth, they dove onto their knees, and Remus began fumbling with the pockets of his robes.

"Where do we go?" Sirius demanded as Remus reached his quaking hands into his clothes. "Does the Floo Network extend to Hogwarts?"

"Remus came from the History of Magic classroom, didn't he?" James answered, his voice also at a near-yell. "It should work going back!"

"It had better!" Sirius replied, and he pulled Remus' shaking hands away from his pockets. "Here, Remus, let us do it!"

Together, James and Sirius turned Remus' pockets inside out and grabbed as much of the Floo powder as they could before it hit the floor. Sweeping up the remains, James dumped a small pile into Peter's hands and shoved him towards the fireplace, which only had room for one.

"You go first!" James ordered, and Peter started to clamber into the hearth just as several pairs of feet jumped into the circular room on the other side. Spinning around, James and Sirius shot a few spells at the snarling werewolves and sent them diving behind the fountain. When a few of them drew their wands and returned fire, James cast a Shield Charm and flinched when the hexes blasted into the invisible film.

"Go, Peter!" he turned and yelled, afraid that the rest of them would not be able to escape in time.

Before he could throw the Floo powder to the ground, Peter yelped and covered his head as a jinx from one of the werewolves clipped the top of the fireplace, showering the inside with crumbling stone. Having shielded himself as well, James did not have time to react as a blue light come barreling towards him and slammed into his wand arm. Although he did not go flying back, James felt his arm go limp, and he had to switch his wand to his other hand after trying unsuccessfully to raise the first. Opening his mouth to yell a warning at Sirius, he was cut off when Louella leapt out from behind the fountain.

"_Suffleo!_"

"No, no, no!" Peter cried a moment later, snatching at the air as a gust of wind blew the Floo powder from his fingers. James had lost his handful of powder when the spell had hit his arm, and he backed against the fireplace as Sirius stood, the only one between the werewolves and their chance at escape.

Out of the corner of his eye, James spotted a dark figure rush out of the doorway just to the left of the fireplace and behind Sirius' line of sight. Before he could shout a warning, Fenrir Greyback was on top of Sirius, bringing several more werewolves with him out of the black passageway. Yelling, Sirius dropped his wand as Greyback lifted him from the floor for the second time that day, letting his feet dangle underneath him.

"Thought that you could get away, didn't you, pretty boy?" Greyback taunted as the other werewolves chuckled, and he leaned closer to Sirius with a smile. "Don't you know that it's unwise to anger a wolf?"


	18. The Battle Before the Full Moon

**The Battle Before the Full Moon**

James froze next to Remus, who had backed against the wall. Too afraid to lift his wand at the possibility of hurting Sirius, James took in the situation while Peter stood poised halfway inside of the fireplace. But only after a second of being suspended in midair, Sirius kicked his feet upwards with an instinctive quickness, and Greyback let out a howl and threw him to the floor. Scrambling backwards, Sirius gaped up at the werewolf, looking just as surprised as the rest of the room. Having taken a few steps backwards, Greyback finally stood at his full height and glared down at the four captives with a blood-red tint to his stare. Snarling, Louella bounded up to his side as the other werewolves whispered among themselves and shifted forward.

"Shall we lock them up again?"

"I think I've changed my mind," Greyback replied, not shifting his murderous gaze. "We don't need to wait. If they aren't going to cooperate, there isn't any reason why we shouldn't finish them off now . . ." Feeling his mouth go dry, James stared up at Greyback as he tilted his head and slowly licked a canine. "It's basically the same as waiting until the moon rises, isn't it? They don't deserve to be kept alive any longer, after all . . ."

Although his right arm was still limp, James gripped his wand with his left as his friends raised theirs at the ready. Remus' only reached halfway off of the ground, his effort so weak that Peter looked like an assured Auror in comparison, and James wondered how long they would be able to hold out for. As Greyback and the other werewolves started to advance, James lifted his arm and prayed for a miracle.

Almost as soon as the thought had crossed his mind, a sharp, commanding voice shouted from the back of the room.

"Stay right where you are, half-breed scum!"

Greyback looked over his shoulder with a snarl just as four of his companions were blasted into the air by a series of red flashes, which upset the line of werewolves and sent several of them falling into the fountain. Howling, the fallen werewolves leapt out of the stone basin and pawed at the blue flames licking their robes, and a flurry of spells erupted from the back of the corridor as several robed figures thrust their way through the mob. After a moment, some of the werewolves began to return fire with wands of their own, and James saw one of them leap onto an intruder and pull the figure to the ground.

Seizing the opportunity, James grabbed Remus with his working hand and pulled him at a half-crouch away from the fireplace. "Come on!" he yelled at Sirius, but his voice seemed to refocus Greyback's attention. Swiveling his head around with a growl, the werewolf locked eyes with James and began to advance, but he was interrupted by a young boy behind him.

"They're getting closer!" the boy called out, his unkempt hair flying as another colorful blast cut through the line of werewolves.

Sneering back over his shoulder, Greyback gave James just enough time to yank Remus in the other direction, leading the others into a nearby passage. When Greyback glanced their way again, James let a moment pass before he tore his eyes away and started dragging Remus down the corridor, Sirius and Peter following quickly behind.

"Head for the surface!" James heard Greyback bellow over the din as the darkness of the tunnel closed over him. "Get out any way you can!"

Already at a run, James and his roommates did not have any more speed to gain as several pairs of footsteps started pounding after them through the passageway. Traveling blindly, they scurried down a gradual slope, and the sound of battle grew softer with each passing step. Hoping that they would not suddenly tumble down a flight of stairs, James grasped Remus' hand tightly as his clammy palm threatened to slip away. The longer they ran, the more James worried that their pursuers would catch up, but he forgot his anxiety after a few minutes when he tumbled into a spacious cavern lighted by a pair of blue torches. As soon as he had registered the new space, he ducked to the side and pulled the others against the wall, hoping that they would be left unnoticed in the near-darkness.

After several moments punctuated only by the boys' bated breaths, the rushing of feet burst through the tunnel next to them, but the werewolves continued straight through to the other end of the corridor without a sideways glance. In another instant, they had vanished again through a passage on the other side, and James finally sighed and released Remus' hand.

"Should we go back up?" Peter whispered as the others slunk away from the wall, peering back up the tunnel.

"They're probably still fighting up there," Sirius guessed. "Whoever rescued us, they sure brought a lot of people. I think it's best if we waited it out."

"But what if they can't find us?" James questioned.

"We don't even know who they are!" Sirius answered. "They might be Death Eaters or something worse!"

Staring at the passageway entrance, James listened to the faint echoes above before turning and reaching for Remus. "You're right. Let's find somewhere safer to wait it out."

As soon as James' fingers brushed Remus' hand, however, his friend started and jumped away. "Get back!" he commanded, his eyes glowing strangely in the torchlight. "Stay away!"

"Remus, we aren't going to leave you!" James reprimanded, taking another step forward and holding out his hand. Backpedaling, Remus stared at him with a frenzied light in his eyes.

"I have to go on my own!" he exclaimed. "It's not safe!"

"But you might get caught!" James argued.

Whimpering, Remus gave his head a shake. "It doesn't matter for me. If I stay, I'll only end up hurting you!"

"Don't be ridiculous!" James told him, stepping forward again with Sirius and Peter. "We won't let that hap—"

"NO!" Remus cried, stumbling backwards as the others stopped dead in his tracks. "YOU'RE GOING TO DIE! DO YOU HEAR? I'LL KILL YOU!"

Their feet rooted to the ground, James, Sirius, and Peter stared at Remus' quivering mouth and watched silently as a tear streaked down his face. After a second's pause, Remus took another step back, and James reached out his arm.

"Remus!" he pleaded, but Remus had already turned and was running towards the distant tunnel. Unable to stop him, the other three watched in silence before a skidding noise sounded from behind them, and they whirled around just as Fenrir Greyback stumbled into the room.

"I was wrong, they did come for you, after all!" he snarled upon spotting the boys, and Remus paused just before he could escape, seemingly tied in place as he watched for what would happen next. Just as Greyback began to advance on the boys, Louella scampered down into the cavern, pulling along a little girl in her fist. Looking around wildly, Louella panted before addressing Greyback.

"Where are we meeting? We've been sent in every direction!"

"Just get to the surface!" Greyback snapped at her, barely glancing her way. "Apparate if you have to! It's our night—it's not like anyone's going to be able to catch us!"

Backing away with her head bowed, Louella pulled the girl along again and dashed past Remus into the opposite tunnel, not giving James and the others a second glance. Turning back towards the boys with a sneer, Greyback marched forward and drew his wand.

"You've caused me a lot of trouble tonight," he growled, "and I'd rather you be here to see the end of it!"

Raising his arm, he opened his mouth to yell an incantation as the boys fumbled for their wands, but several pairs of running feet cut off Greyback's words. Turning around, he caught a blue blast full in the face and flipped over backwards, sending James and the others scampering to the side. The caster dashed into the room, and James immediately recognized Mr. Lupin when he held his wand aloft and paced forward, motioning for the boys to get behind him as Greyback recovered. Relieved to see a familiar face at last, James ran to his side with all three of his roommates as a few other wizards rushed into the room behind Mr. Lupin.

"I'd stay on the ground if I was in your place," Mr. Lupin barked at his fallen foe, but Greyback struggled to his feet with a bleeding nose and bared his teeth at his attacker. His eyes widening as soon as Greyback showed his face, Mr. Lupin paled and lowered his wand by just the slightest amount.

"You!" he breathed.

Wiping the blood off of his face, Greyback quickly lost his grimace as a smile replaced it.

"Lyall," he greeted. "How's the kid?"

Breathless, Mr. Lupin lowered his wand still further as Greyback twirled his own, vanishing on the spot with a loud crack. Standing behind Mr. Lupin, James brushed himself down and glanced towards the tunnel entrance as several more pairs of feet came pattering out of the gloom. Blinking in shock, James watched as an odd assortment of wizards and witches walked into view, featuring none other than Minister for Magic Eugenia Jenkins, Headmaster Dumbledore, Mundungus Fletcher, the barkeep from the Hog's Head, and a man that looked as if he had a skull for a head. Several other people followed behind, their wands poised for action, but those in the front seemed to sense that the excitement was over.

"It's rather drafty in here, isn't it?" Dumbledore asked to no one in particular, but James saw his eyes flit down and lock with his own. Behind him, the barkeep was holding Mundungus by the collar, but it looked like the shorter wizard had long since abandoned the thought of breaking free. Finally breaking his gaze away from the empty floor, Mr. Lupin slipped his wand away and put an arm on Remus, who was already beginning to back away from his rescuers.

"Remus, are you all right? Are you hurt?"

"GET OFF OF ME!" Remus shouted, throwing aside his father's hand.

"Remus—" Mr. Lupin started, grabbing his arm, but Remus jerked free.

"GET AWAY!" he cried, dashing towards the other end of the corridor. Stepping forward, two of the nearby wizards apprehended him as he flailed and kicked, screaming loudly. "LET GO OF ME! STOP IT, LET ME GO!"

After a few moments of struggling, Remus was forced against the wall by the two wizards, and he sunk to the floor with racking sobs and buried his head in his arms. Watching Remus with his hands behind his back, Dumbledore did not react as Mr. Lupin addressed the Minister.

"Please, we have to get him somewhere safe!" he pleaded, his voice breaking. "Have your Aurors be gentle with him, but he has to leave now!"

Turning his head sharply, the man with the skull-like face narrowed his eyes. "And why the hurry?" he demanded, evidently unmoved by Remus' display. "These children have information that we need. They were here to witness the werewolves for close to an entire day, and they'll have had ample opportunity to observe their—"

"My son is a werewolf, and he has to move somewhere safe before the moon rises!" Mr. Lupin interrupted, silencing the other man. "Please, we can't let this night end any worse!"

"You have the rest of them, Crouch!" Jenkins snapped at the gaping wizard, and he eventually raised a hand towards the Aurors behind them.

"Split up and search the tunnels!" Crouch barked, his features taking on a more human quality when the torchlight ceased to shine directly on his face. Now, James could see that he had a thin mustache and a head of strictly-parted hair, which had remained unperturbed during the scuffle. "We can't let any of them get away!"

Obeying, many of the Aurors ran off through the passageways, but a handful of them stayed behind with Crouch, including the two who had held back Remus. Looking down at his son, Mr. Lupin started forward as Remus jerked away from the Aurors, cowering when they tried to bring him to his feet. Giving another sob, Remus darted forward as if to slip past their legs, but they caught him around the waist as he kicked and yelled.

"GET AWAY FROM ME! I DON'T WANT TO HURT YOU! I DON'T WANT TO—I DON'T—"

Trailing off as the Aurors kept his arms pressed at his sides, he dissolved into a fit of tears and hung his head. James could see that Mr. Lupin's eyes had welled up.

"Take him upstairs and be away with him!" Crouch told the Aurors holding Remus, but Remus began fighting again as they started to force him away, yelling. Struggling to detain him, the Aurors pulled with all their might as Crouch whirled on Mr. Lupin. "Can't you control your son? This is an embarrassment!"

"Please, can't they use the Memory Charm?" Mr. Lupin requested, ignoring Crouch as he turned to Jenkins. "It'll calm him down straight away!"

"The Memory Charm?" Crouch repeated with a huff. "We need him to remember this night! There are several important details that the Department will have to—"

"You have three other witnesses to question!" Mr. Lupin interrupted, gesturing towards James, Sirius, and Peter. "You can learn all you need from them!"

Pulling himself up to his full height, Crouch admonished, "Any one of them might have crucial knowledge! We can't just let one walk away without—"

"PLEASE, IT'S DESTROYING HIM!" Mr. Lupin yelled, raising his voice over Remus' cries. "CAN'T YOU SEE?"

Although he wore a scowl, Crouch turned his head away without further objection as the rest of the party watched Remus struggle. Raising her hand, Jenkins gestured for Crouch to respond, and he nodded at the Aurors.

"Do it," he spoke curtly, and one of the wizards holding Remus drew out his wand. Upon spotting it, Remus began to fight even harder, but the Auror shoved the wand-tip against his forehead after a few seconds.

"_Obliviate!_" he commanded, and Remus' arms and legs went lax, and his eyes lost their wild light. Staring at the floor, Remus staggered forward without complaint as the Aurors marched him towards the ascending tunnel, and Dumbledore held out his hand to stop Mr. Lupin from following.

"Lyall, he'll be all right. You're needed here for the moment."

"Not before I question them, Headmaster," Crouch warned with a narrowing of his eyes, but Dumbledore waved him off.

"There will be plenty of time for that later," he dismissed, and Crouch once again complied with a grimace, seemingly unwilling to contradict him. Turning towards James and the other boys, Dumbledore peered over his spectacles and laced his fingers together. "Firstly, I suppose that the cat—or should I say wolf in this instance—is out of the bag." When James glanced at his roommates, Dumbledore explained, "Although I hope that this will not change your opinion of Remus in any way, your roommate of four years is in fact a—"

"A werewolf," James interrupted, nodding. "We know."

"Then you pieced it together tonight?" Jenkins interjected, raising her eyebrows as Dumbledore regarded the boys carefully.

"Not exactly," James admitted, again looking at his roommates. "We've known for a while now."

"And how long is 'a while?'" Dumbledore inquired, his eyes beginning to twinkle.

"Two years, give or take," Sirius answered, shrugging, and Mr. Lupin spoke up as Dumbledore turned to him.

"It's true," he said. "They've been exceptionally generous."

"I should say so," Dumbledore commented, facing the boys again with a nod. "I had no inkling that you knew all this time. Then you've made your peace?"

"Really, it was Remus who was giving us a hard time about it at first," James replied, and Dumbledore smiled slightly before addressing them again.

"Well, with that matter aside, I do have one pressing question for you three," he said, the sparkle in his eyes quickly dimming as James' heart slowed. Peering over his spectacles, Dumbledore inquired, "Why aren't you back in your room at Hogwarts?"

Lowering his head, James snuck a quick glance at the others before coming up with a lie. "We were supposed to meet him here," he accused, pointing at Mundungus. As the squat man opened his mouth with a scowl, he continued, "He needed help with a business deal, and we owed him after—well, after the last time we met. Remus wasn't at fault, though," James added rapidly. "He only came to stop us. You can't get him in trouble!"

At his confession, both Crouch and the Hog's Head bartender frowned, and Mundungus struggled under the latter's tight grip. "In all my days, I never—" he began, but Sirius quickly cut him off.

"Go on, tell them what James just said!" he demanded, patting his wand pocket almost imperceptibly before crossing his arms over his chest. Catching the gesture, Mundungus quieted as Sirius insisted, "Tell Dumbledore and the Minister—they can _sniff out_ a lie faster than you can run away!"

Lowering his head, Mundungus glared at his feet before turning to his other spectators. "All right, it's true! But I didn't know tha' we'd be walking straight into a den of werewolves, you've got to believe me!"

Giving his captive a shake, the grey-bearded bartender growled, "That still doesn't give you an excuse for abandoning four children as soon as you smelled danger!"

"It's shameful!" Jenkins added, glaring at Mundungus, but James noticed that Dumbledore's eyes had never left the boys. Shifting his weight under his unnervingly blue gaze, James wondered if Sirius could be right about the Headmaster's ability to sense a lie after all. However, he soon breathed freely again when Dumbledore spoke again.

"And how did you manage to break free?" he asked. "I assume that you would have been locked away, and your captors would have had the sense to take your wands."

Lowering his gaze again, James flushed as the adults stared at him; taking Snape's wand seemed like a very silly thing now. "I had another wand," he admitted, unable to meet Dumbledore's blue eyes. "Snape's."

"Severus Snape?" Dumbledore inquired after a pause, and James slowly nodded. Staring down at him, Dumbledore said, "I hope you realize that we would have been able to rescue you even if you had not robbed another student of his ability to use magic."

Still not looking up, James stayed silent until Crouch snapped a question. "How did you three get here in the first place?"

"Floo powder," James, Sirius, and Peter answered in unison, and they shared a quick glance before James cleared his throat.

"Professor Binns keeps some in his classroom," he explained.

"And your friend got here by the same method, I presume?" Crouch interrogated, and Dumbledore held up a hand to stop him from spitting out another question as all three boys nodded.

"You can question them later," the Headmaster admonished, and Crouch huffed before quieting. "Now, boys," Dumbledore spoke, turning back, "I imagine that you have quite a few questions for us."

"Yeah, how did you know where to find us?" Peter asked.

"It was all thanks to a worried first-year of your own House," Dumbledore replied, his eyes twinkling as a small smile crossed his face. "Diggle, I believe it is. I had already known of Lupin's innocence in the matter, because Diggle came to find me after a day of fretting about his disappearance, and he told me how he had overheard you three in the common room. Fortunately," he continued with a nod towards the barman, "Aberforth here was present during this confession, having come to discuss a matter of ours. He remembered the spectacle that you had caused in his inn with Mundungus, and he immediately assumed that it was him who you were planning to meet. Knowing Mundungus' disposition, we inferred that something had gone wrong, and we set out to find and question him at once."

As Mundungus turned towards Dumbledore with a sour look, James felt his mouth fall open. "You know Mundungus?"

"I once fished him out of a troublesome situation in Braes," Dumbledore explained. "That was where I eventually located him, in fact, recovering from the influence of a strong liquor."

"How did you find him so fast?" Sirius questioned.

"I have several methods for tracking people down, but Mundungus is a bit . . . easier to find than most," he replied ambiguously, and James frowned to himself before Dumbledore continued. "Once we had heard his story, I contacted the Ministry for backup and had Mundungus bring us back here."

"Hogwash!" Aberforth the bartender grumbled, shaking Mundungus by his collar. "I'm the one who made this worm bring us anywhere! If it wasn't for me, his cowardly backside would still be hiding away in Braes!"

"Yes, I'm sure he would be if there was no one to urge him on," Dumbledore corrected, turning to the barman with a sparkle in his eye. "But you must give Mundungus some credit. I don't believe that he would have turned me down flat after our history."

"Then you haven't spent enough time around scum like this," the other retorted, huffing. "You were always too involved in the upper crust, Albus."

"Tell me, brother, why do you never believe the best in others?" Dumbledore replied simply, shaking his head as he turned back to the boys. "Please forgive him. His temperament can be compared to those of his many goats: charming in its own way, but extremely stubborn."

"I swear," Aberforth spat at him, "if our mother didn't need me at home, I would have bailed from your insufferable sense of humor long before—"

"Wait, your mother?" Sirius interrupted, his mouth falling open. Both Dumbledore and Aberforth raised an eyebrow as they glanced down at him.

"Yes, our mother," Dumbledore answered. "Is it so surprising that I would have one?"

"You have a brother?" James, Sirius, and Peter exclaimed together, staring up at Aberforth with wide eyes. Chuckling, Dumbledore folded his hands as Aberforth turned up his nose with a huff.

"I'm afraid I do," Dumbledore replied, still smiling. "Testy things, siblings. However, being the younger and rather less pedantic of us, Aberforth was always bound to end up the obscure one."

Aberforth snorted. "You really are too much," he told Dumbledore, and James saw that he had the same electric eyes as his brother when they briefly flashed out from behind his dirty spectacles. Turning to the boys again, Aberforth said, "Let me tell you something about your prim and proper Headmaster here—he's only virtuous on the outside. If you ever get to know him as well as I have, you'll discover that he's just as flawed as the rest of us."

At this, the rest of the party fell silent, and Mr. Lupin cleared his throat before facing the boys. "I happened to be at the Ministry when Dumbledore's message arrived. There was quite a stir in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and I, of course, insisted on coming along."

"_Insisted_ is putting it mildly," Crouch snapped, his arms crossed. "Although it was against my better judgment to bring along an unskilled Boggart-chaser, he would not hear anything otherwise."

"I wouldn't offer any complaints, Crouch, seeing as how you tried to keep me from coming as well," the Minister spoke, turning her narrowed eyes on him. "Aurors aren't the only ones qualified to join your little expeditions."

"You're right," Crouch stated, his mouth twitching humorlessly. "There are Hit Wizards." Before anyone could respond, Crouch turned aside to listen to an Auror who had just appeared from the tunnel behind them.

"We found a room filled with enchanted cauldrons, sir," the Auror reported, saluting briefly. "They all have the remains of what we believe to be Sanguine Solvent."

"Sanguine Solvent?" Crouch exploded, snapping his head to glance back up the tunnel. "I knew that the rumors on the black market had to be leading somewhere foul!" Throwing a brief glare at Mundungus, he turned and marched towards the exit with the Auror and Jenkins in tow. "Let's see what other illegal products those mongrels have been hiding away!"

As they disappeared, Dumbledore gestured and stepped towards the passageway. "Come, Mundungus. I wish to have a word with you."

"Make it a harsh one, Albus!" Aberforth spat, letting Mundungus go free with a shake. When the squat man brushed himself off and shot a glare at him, Aberforth pointed his finger at his chest. "Don't let me be seeing you in the Hog's Head ever again, maggot!"

At the sight of Aberforth's sneer, James wondered how angry the barman would be if he knew about James' brief stint in his storage room, and he decided not to ask about the portrait in the Hog's Head or the tunnel into Hogwarts. Scowling back at the bartender, Mundungus marched off into the tunnel, and Dumbledore addressed Mr. Lupin before following.

"Lyall, I think now is the time for you to come clean to your son's friends. Remus is not the only one who has had a rough day, though I would recommend that you talk to him in the morning as well."

Lowering his head, Mr. Lupin nodded. "Of course."

Dumbledore patted his back before walking into the tunnel with Aberforth. Once they had been left alone, James, Sirius, and Peter all turned to Mr. Lupin.

"Well," the golden-haired wizard sighed, smiling thinly at the boys, "I suppose I had better start at the beginning. You all know how Remus was bitten at the age of four," he said, waiting for James, Sirius, and Peter to nod. "He doesn't remember much of that day aside from the actual event, so he won't recall how I came home that afternoon swearing about the idiocy of my coworkers." Pausing, he looked at the ground and shook his head. "But there's something that I could never bring myself to admit, not even to Hope or poor Remus . . ."

"You see," he finally whispered hoarsely, turning up his eyes to the ceiling, "that night was all my fault."

Briefly glancing towards the others at the look on Mr. Lupin's face, James comforted, "I'm sure it wasn't, sir—"

"But it was," he interrupted, shaking his head. "I made the mistake of insulting that werewolf who just disappeared."

"You mean Fenrir Greyback?" Peter gasped.

"But then," Sirius interjected, "he's the one who . . ."

Licking his lips, Mr. Lupin could only bring himself to nod, and the boys stared at him with open mouths. Taking a rapid breath, Mr. Lupin explained, "It was a day like any other at the Ministry, aside from the homeless man that had been brought in for questioning after the deaths of two Muggle children. I shouldn't have even been at his hearing, but I couldn't help myself when he passed by. I saw right through his Muggle disguise, although he pretended to be overwhelmed by the situation, gasping at every little sign of magic and even coming to tears when he learned of the Muggles' deaths. He put on a remarkably convincing show, but it was the day before the full moon, and I recognized the signs . . ."

Gulping, he continued, "My coworkers thought that I was delusional, and I grew unreasonably angry when it became clear that Greyback would walk free. I called werewolves soulless, evil, deserving nothing but death—" Cutting off, he held his face in his hand for a moment before speaking. "I know better now, of course, but I've never forgotten what I said. I regret it every day."

After another pause, Mr. Lupin said, "Greyback escaped the Ministry before his memory could be wiped, and I had the gall to feel vindicated. I had been right, and no one had believed me. Never once did I think of the insults I had spouted, not once for my family's safety, and Greyback came for Remus the next night. I should have been prepared for the attack after what I said, but the thought didn't even cross my mind until I woke up to Remus' screams . . ."

Looking away, he took a steadying breath. "Remus never complains, of course. But I can see through his smile when he's hurting, and it's enough to drive me mad. If it wasn't for me, he would still be a normal boy, he wouldn't have to go through what he does every month, he wouldn't have to hide himself from everyone around him, he wouldn't—"

Choking up, Mr. Lupin broke off as the boys all stared at him, digesting his words. Finally, James spoke, quietly but firmly. "You need to tell Remus."

Not meeting his eyes, Mr. Lupin waited a moment before nodding. "I know," he answered quietly. "I should have told him years ago. Tomorrow, when he's back to normal, I'll—I'll tell him. The whole story this time."

After a long pause, James and the others backed away from Mr. Lupin and trooped into the tunnel to join Dumbledore and Aberforth. Mr. Lupin did not move after them, and they left him standing alone in the empty cavern, staring at the spot where Greyback had vanished.


	19. The Summer's Outlook

**The Summer's Outlook**

That night, James, Sirius, and Peter only got a few hours of sleep after being interrogated by Bartemius Crouch Sr. in a dimly-lit Ministry office. Once the Aurors had finished investigating the werewolf underground, Dumbledore had allowed James and his roommates to be transported to the Ministry with the confiscated cauldrons of Sanguine Solvent. They were treated with no more worth than the vials set upon the Head of Magical Law Enforcement's desk, and James found it hard to stay awake through Crouch's persistent barking while the Hogwarts Headmaster stood to the side, occasionally drifting out of the room to exchange a few words with Eugenia Jenkins or a passing Ministry worker. Just when James' yawns began to interfere with the interrogation, Dumbledore reentered the room and pulled the boys outside, gently telling Crouch off when he tried to detain them.

"Meet me in my office tomorrow if it so interests you," Dumbledore said, guiding the three pairs of feet outside, "but these boys need sleep. The end-of-the-year exams start tomorrow, you know, and rest is the most essential ingredient to a nimble mind!"

Even despite Dumbledore's promises, James was awoken far earlier than he would have liked by a thin house-elf that demanded his presence. Slipping out of his four-poster, James left Sirius and Peter snoring in their dormitory and accompanied the house-elf down to the ground-floor corridor, where he spotted Snape standing next to the Headmaster in fidgety silence. When Dumbledore spied James' approach, he smiled and lifted a hand.

"Good morning, young Potter! How was your night?"

"Could have been better," James replied honestly, rubbing the back of his head as he came to a halt.

"I presume that you have brought Mr. Snape's wand with you," Dumbledore said, and James nodded with a quick glance at Snape, who glared back at him as he fished into his pocket. "There," Dumbledore narrated as James passed on the wand, both him and Snape locking eyes for an instant. "Things are back in order. But Mr. Potter," he warned before the group could part ways, "thievery of any sort will not be tolerated at this school. I have already taken fifty points from Gryffindor for your actions, and I would advise that you not repeat your mistake."

"Yes, sir," James mumbled, lowering his eyes to the ground as the corner of Snape's mouth rose a hair's length. Turning, Dumbledore set off down the hallway with the house-elf, leaving the two boys standing alone.

"You think that you can get away with anything, don't you, Potter?" Snape sneered as soon as Dumbledore had left. "If I was in your place, I certainly wouldn't disappear for a day and traipse around with someone else's wand in plain sight."

"I wasn't _traipsing_ anywhere," James snarled back, clenching his teeth. "And how did you know that I was gone? Only Dumbledore knew anything about it. He didn't tell you, did he?"

"No, but you're forgetting about another one of your Housemates," Snape responded, curling his lip. "How very like you to dismiss your fellow students."

"Diggle?" James guessed, paling. As the first-year's face came to mind, he wondered just how many people knew of his day-long disappearance by now.

"Dumbledore may have ordered him to keep quiet, but Conway overheard him talking with another student in passing," Snape explained. "I sorted out the rest of the story afterwards."

"What did you do to him?" James growled, taking a step forward.

"Who, Diggle? I didn't do anything to him. Unlike you, I don't bully my way into getting what I want." After his reply, however, Snape paused and tilted his head. "Well, Conway may have gotten a little antsy with Diggle, but don't fret: your bird-brained devotee didn't reveal anything that would betray you. It just so happens that the story's all over _The Daily Prophet_."

"What story?" James questioned, and a bead of sweat started to form behind his hairline as Snape leaned forward; James could not imagine Crouch or any of the other Ministry employees publishing the dubious actions of him and his roommates, at least not so quickly as this. Still, Snape's narrowed, ink-black eyes stirred a nauseous sensation in James' stomach, and he nearly retreated as the greasy-haired student sneered.

"Contrary to your loud-mouthed opinion, I'm not an idiot. I know where you went yesterday, as anyone would if they read between the lines. And between you and me," Snape hissed, his dark eyes flashing suddenly, "I wish that the werewolves had swallowed you whole!"

Only when Snape had left did the pounding in James' chest begin to subside, ending in a slow thump as he started in the opposite direction. Although he guessed that Snape would keep his discovery to himself out of respect for Dumbledore, the very fact that he knew of James' late-night adventure unsettled him. Suppose he ever found out how James and his roommates had ended up in Portree to begin with—or worse yet, why.

When James rejoined Sirius and Peter, they turned to normal conversation and journeyed together to the Great Hall for breakfast. However, they had barely made it down to the ground floor when Frank and Dill ran into them from the other direction.

"It feels like we haven't seen you around lately," Dill greeted, smiling as he and Frank approached. "What have you been up to?"

"Nothing much," Sirius answered, to which James and Peter shared a thin smile.

"If only we could say the same," Dill responded, sighing.

Seeing Frank's arms laden with textbooks, James pointed at his load. "Have you been preparing for the exams?"

"Only all night and this morning," Frank answered, rubbing his eyes. "I went out by the lake to study as soon as the sun rose just to get some quiet, but I'm not sure I stayed awake the entire time."

"If you turn to page eighty-three of _Meteorology Mathematics_, you'll find a bit of drool on the star-chart," Dill spoke, tapping one of Frank's textbooks.

"I saw Remus out by the beech tree," Frank informed the others after giving his friend a glare. "Were you going to meet him?"

"He's back—I mean, he's outside?" James asked, brightening.

"His dad was there, too," Frank told him. "It looked like they were talking about something important. I figured you would know what they were doing."

"Yeah, we were just about to meet them!" James told him, waving as he and his roommates started for the castle grounds. "Thanks loads!"

After running out of the castle's front doors, James, Sirius, and Peter came to a rapid halt when they spotted Mr. Lupin and Remus walking beside the lake, the older wizard's hand over his son's shoulders. The two were already on their way back towards the castle, but neither of them seemed to notice their spectators, still engaged in conversation. Waiting at the rise of the hill, James and the others watched as the Lupins drew slowly closer, the early sunrise outlining them in gold. Remus had his head down as his father spoke to him, and he carried a folded newspaper in his hand as he nodded every so often or gave a short word in answer. Finally, Mr. Lupin lifted his head and spied the three boys waiting at the top of the hill, and he pointed them out to Remus. Looking up, Remus brightened (was it James' imagination, or did he look a bit relieved?), and Remus led his father towards his roommates, who waited with their arms crossed.

"Hello, boys," Mr. Lupin greeted once he had reached them, avoiding direct eye contact with James and his friends. "I've just come to see Remus off." Patting his son's shoulder one last time, he wished, "Good luck with your exams. I'll see you at home."

Shuffling away in the other direction, he only managed to take a few steps before Remus whirled around and stopped him, seeming to make a split-second decision.

"Wait!"

Not expecting Remus' hug, Mr. Lupin almost stumbled backwards before returning the gesture, and the two held each other for a long moment before finally backing away.

"I'll see you soon," Remus said, adding afterwards, "I love you."

The corners of Mr. Lupin's mouth lifted. "I love you too, Remus. And I really don't deserve you," he said, forcing a laugh as he rubbed the top of his son's head.

Mr. Lupin turned once more towards the grounds. Watching him, Remus waited until Sirius cleared his throat. "What was that all about?"

"He just came to visit before our final exams," Remus explained as they all began to walk towards the castle. "He also wanted to see me after last night . . ." Stiffening, the others held their breaths, but Remus only looked up at them with a faint smile. "He told me more about the night when I first became a werewolf, actually. I suppose that the day after the full moon was as good a time as any. He seemed pretty shaken, so I guess it's been eating at him for a while now—I don't think that he could have waited until I got home."

"So there was nothing special about last night that made him visit?" James inquired, and Remus shook his head.

"I don't think so," he replied, frowning. "Unless . . ." Watching him carefully, James waited as Remus looked down at his copy of _The Daily Prophet_. "Well, I suppose that this could have caused it," he admitted, and his roommates quickly read the top article's title.

"Mass Werewolf Breakout: Death Eater Recruitment Confirmed?" Sirius read.

"It's the worst attack yet," Remus explained. "Apparently, a whole pack of werewolves tore through Portree, and not one of them was caught afterwards by the Auror Department. People are blaming Jenkins instead of taking it out on the Aurors." Looking down at the newspaper, he said, "Crouch, the Auror Head, has made his position on werewolves quite clear, so I suppose that no one can fault him."

"But what did the Minister do wrong?" Peter questioned.

"Mostly, people are blaming her for not keeping a stricter watch over the Death Eaters. Last night just pushed them over the edge after the scare. According to the article," he said, scanning the newspaper again, "four children were rescued from the werewolves' hiding place. Fortunately, they made it out all right, and they were able to confirm that the werewolves had joined forces with the Death Eaters."

Sharing a glance with the others, James suddenly understood how Snape had been able to figure out the previous night's events.

"Four kids, eh?" Sirius asked, smirking as he stared at the newspaper. "I wonder what they were there for!"

Remus' eyes lowered to the ground, and Sirius' grin immediately fell. "That's part of the reason why my father came," Remus admitted at nearly a whisper. "Apparently, the werewolf that turned me actually meant to. Fenrir Greyback—that's his name—positions himself around unsuspecting people just before the full moon, especially children." Swallowing, he scowled at his feet. "I thought that he hadn't meant it, not after I understood how awful the life of a werewolf is. But now I know where all the stories come from. We really can be monsters."

"Not all of you," James reminded him, slinging an arm around his shoulders, and Remus gave him a small smile.

"No, I guess not," he agreed, though he soon looked away again. "My dad also told me that Greyback had a . . . _special_ reason for attacking me. The two of them had met before, and it wasn't exactly the friendliest meeting." Trailing off as the others eyed him, Remus sighed. "But no one's responsible for what Greyback did. I know that. Anyway, there's nothing we can change about it now."

When they reached the castle door, James asked Remus, "Are you feeling up to the exams? We can ask Dumbledore to let you out of today's tests if you want. I'm sure he'd understand."

"No, I'm all right," Remus answered. "Thanks for thinking of me, though. It's Professor Aven's exam first, right?"

Together, the four roommates set off for the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, hurrying to make it on time. However, they paused when they reached the second floor, slowing just in front of the Gargoyle Corridor as Dumbledore and Crouch walked into view with a group of students trailing after them. At the sight of Crouch, James might have decided to keep on walking in case the Head of Magical Law Enforcement tried to stop him for questioning again, but he allowed himself to stop when he spotted Professor Aven conversing with the Ministry visitor as well. When he and his roommates joined the whispering group, one more familiar face looked out from between Dumbledore and Crouch, and Dedalus Diggle waved at the other Gryffindors with a beam. James noticed that his left eye looked a bit darker than usual around the edges.

"That's all for now, Headmaster," Crouch announced, ignoring the gawking students as he strode forward briskly. "I may give Diggle an additional visit in the summer, once the Auror Department has more information on last night's proceedings. Your family won't object, of course?" he asked the first-year without much room in his voice for disagreement.

"No, sir!" Diggle responded with a chipper smile. "Will I be published in _The Daily Prophet_?"

"Er—we'll see," Crouch replied with a twitch of his mustache, and Diggle's grin grew even wider as Crouch turned to Dumbledore. "And you can confirm that he's told the truth?"

"I can't speak for the whole story, but his tale matches with my understanding," the Headmaster answered.

"Thank you for sitting in, Professor," Crouch told Professor Aven with a nod. "It never hurts to have more than one expert listening from the side."

"Of course!" Aven responded, but James noticed that his hands had begun to fidget at his sides.

"I'm off to the Ministry," Crouch announced once he had made his proper farewells, adjusting his outer cloak. "The Magical Law Enforcement Patrol will be in upheaval without me. I can't trust those fools to do anything on their own anymore."

As Crouch complained, James turned his head at the sound of tapping footsteps, and he spotted Bartemius' straw-haired head as he jumped up the top of a nearby staircase. The click-clack of his shoes echoed closer as he pushed past the other students and marched up to Crouch.

"Father, I didn't know that you were here!" he greeted, stopping short as Crouch looked his way. "Didn't you want to see me?"

"I'm just attending to business matters, nothing you need concern yourself with," Crouch responded, waving off his son and stepping past him. "Headmaster, I'll speak with you again at the next Wizengamot gathering. There's a handful of important decisions coming up, not to mention the slew of discussion that last night's events will have brought to—"

"Are you here about what happened last night?" Bartemius interrupted, hurrying after Crouch before he could leave the group of students behind. "I read about it in the paper, and I wondered if—"

"Not now, Barty!" Crouch snapped, whirling on his son. "Can't you see that I'm busy?"

Clenching his jaw, Bartemius waited silently while Dumbledore turned to Crouch. "I won't keep you waiting," he told him, casting a short glance down at Bartemius. "However, perhaps you would like to stay a bit longer and catch up with your son's schooling?"

"I don't have time," Crouch responded, adjusting his left cufflink. "I'm running late as it is. I'll see you soon, Headmaster."

Turning, Crouch marched down the hall while Bartemius spun towards Professor Aven, his silence suddenly ending. "Why did he come to Hogwarts? Nothing happened here, did it?" Whirling on Diggle when Aven did not respond right away, he demanded, "Why were you with my father? Did he have something to ask you? What do you know about last night?"

Although he shrunk back from the barrage of questions, Diggle still wore his unceasing smile as Dumbledore put a hand on Bartemius' shoulder. "Now, now, let's not overwhelm him. He needs some space before his first exam—and speaking of which," he broke off with a glance at the gathered students, "I believe that you all have places to be."

Heeding the pointed look in his crystal-blue eyes, the students began to disperse, but Bartemius remained stewing in place as Dumbledore turned to Diggle. Taking only a few steps away with the other students, James eavesdropped with his roommates.

"After your exemplary actions last night, I have decided to bestow you with a Special Award for Services to the School," Dumbledore said. "Take it as an appreciation of your quick-thinking."

"Thank you, Headmaster!" Diggle told him with a beam, puffing out his chest as Professor Aven gulped.

"But then," Aven whispered to Dumbledore as Diggle skipped off, "students from Hogwarts really were involved?"

Casting a short glance at Bartemius, who promptly stopped his staring and turned around, Dumbledore nodded almost imperceptibly. "It's been an eventful night."

Paling, Professor Aven licked his lips. "But—but they were at Hogwarts!" he protested. "Nowhere is safer than Hogwarts!"

"That's the strange thing about safe havens," Dumbledore responded. "They only work if you stay in them."

"But to think that they got out so easily!" Aven muttered to himself, looking at the floor. "And with the mass attack last night, anything might happen!" Grabbing Dumbledore's arm, he demanded, "You don't suppose that the werewolves might come back for the students, do you? Not back to Hogwarts?"

"Even if they were to think of lashing out, I would be surprised if they could manage to get past the front gate," Dumbledore replied evenly, heading back down the Gargoyle Corridor with his hands clasped behind his back. "I wouldn't dwell on it long, Perdix."

Despite Dumbledore's answer, Professor Aven continued to fiddle with his hands as he scurried after the Headmaster, attempting to match his purposeful stride as he whispered something beyond hearing range. Frowning, Sirius stared after the two of them as James and the others turned for the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.

"Shouldn't the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor be a little braver?" Sirius asked aloud. "You'd think that he'd be more put together."

"He did seem a little skittish," James agreed, casting a glance over his shoulder.

"Oh, I wouldn't give him a hard time," Remus spoke, waving them off with his hand. "I might be just as nervous if I was him."

"What do you mean?" Peter questioned.

"Yeah, what're you on about?" Sirius added, narrowing his eyes.

"Oh, Aven?" Remus asked, a hint of a smile turning up his mouth. "He's a Squib."

"HE'S A WHAT?" the others all exclaimed, coming to an abrupt halt.

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed that he's never used a wand in class before," Remus told them, never slowing his pace.

"But—but—" Peter stammered.

Jogging to catch up to Remus, James objected, "You can't be serious! I won't believe it!"

"Yeah!" Sirius added, running up to his other side. "We can't have a professor who isn't able to do any magic!"

"I always assumed that Dumbledore had a hard time finding a candidate," Remus replied, shrugging. "Our professor last year was almost killed, and he had to pull her out of the Auror Department to teach in the first place."

"But this isn't right!" Peter gasped again, and James nearly jumped back as his roommate suddenly clenched his fists. "NO! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! AVEN'S BEEN LOADING US WITH HOMEWORK ALL YEAR, AND HE CAN'T EVEN CAST THE LEVITATION CHARM! IT'S UNFAIR!"

Although still baffled by Remus' revelation, James had to stifle a laugh at Peter's frustration. "Blimey," Sirius commented, shaking his head. "Well, I've always wondered what a Muggle would have to say about things like werewolves and magic schools. A Squib would be like the same thing, right?"

"Not really," Remus told him. "I mean, they already know about magic."

"I guess that I could always ask a Muggle-born student," Sirius said, glancing around the hallway. "I can't think of anyone to ask, though."

"There's always Evans," James pointed out. "Why don't you ask her?"

Starting, Sirius blinked a few times before shaking his head. "No, I meant like a _real_ Muggle-born. You know, someone who isn't at the top of Charms and Potions—someone who doesn't know more about magic than Dumbledore and McGonagall put together. You know, a Muggle-born who _acts_ like one."

As Sirius averted his gaze to Peter, who was still tearing at his hair, James felt a smile threatening to edge up his face.

* * *

Admittedly, James felt rather silly throughout the Defense Against the Dark Arts exam after his new understanding of Aven, and he could not help but let his eyes wander up to the professor now and again, wondering just how much of the material he actually knew. In the end, he figured that the exam would be an easy pass, and even Peter seemed confident of his results after spending an hour muttering a string of oaths over his roll of parchment.

The rest of the exams passed remarkably quickly after the weekend's excitement, but James' parents paid a visit halfway through the week at a letter from Professor McGonagall. Two days earlier, McGonagall had explained to James the necessity of the letter, which documented the details of his experiences in Portree and requested the Potters' presences; she had sent copies of the letter to the Black and Pettigrew households as well, and although James, Sirius, and Peter had accepted the decision in resignation, James knew by Sirius' steeled jaw that he dreaded his parents' reactions. All James could do for his friend's sake was pray that the Blacks would ignore the summons, but he doubted that they would be so careless with a direct request from the Gryffindor Head of House.

"But werewolves!" James' father exclaimed when he and his wife stood inside Dumbledore's office, accompanied by the Headmaster and their son's two roommates. "James, are you all right?"

"I'm fine," James answered, shifting his feet. Those in the office were still waiting for Mrs. Pettigrew and the Blacks to show up, but James had already been subjected to a series of questions and coddling.

"You can't have followed a street dealer all the way to Portree just before your exams!" James' mother cried, her mouth hanging open. "What were you thinking?"

"I'm sorry, Mum," James mumbled, and he knew better than to wriggle away as his mother bent down to wrap him in a hug.

"I should be angry with you, but I'm just so glad that you're all right!" she sniffed, nearly smothering James with her cherry-scented hair.

"And what about you two?" James' father asked, turning to Sirius and Peter. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, sir," both of them replied, starting a little. Standing just in front of his desk, Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"They've all been checked for injuries, of which they sustained none," he informed the Potters. "And judging from your son's red features, I think that they're going to be just fine psychologically."

"But how—" James' mother began, but the sudden slamming of the office door cut her off as every eye in the room turned to Mr. and Mrs. Black.

"Headmaster," Mr. Black greeted upon entry, and Sirius crossed his arms at the sight of his father's scowl. "You summoned us?"

"I did indeed," Dumbledore replied, his voice in his usual state of calm. "Thank you for joining us at such short notice."

"What exactly are we here to discuss?" Mrs. Black sneered, the ends of her raven hair almost smoking as Dumbledore turned to her.

"I was hoping that we could wait for Mrs. Pettigrew before explaining the situation. I don't want to go through it more times than necessary."  
"We shouldn't have to wait!" Mr. Black insisted, his dark eyes blazing. "This whole situation is preposterous! Suggesting that our firstborn would gallop about with an undercover herd of filthy half-breeds! Just who do you think you are?"

"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore," the Headmaster responded. "Who do you think _you_ are?"

As the dark-haired man spluttered, Mrs. Black clenched her fists. "Stop this nonsense! Sirius would have never left school on such a foolish errand!"

"Rest assured," Dumbledore interjected, taking a few steps forward, "I would have never interrupted your schedules if it was not for something important. As it stands, we have quantifiable proof of Sirius' involvement in the Portree affair, as well as for the other two students standing here. I am but one of many witnesses who can testify to their skirmish with the werewolves, although that is not the primary issue here. Your accompaniment was requested to serve as consolation after the somewhat worrisome letter you received. But as you can see, Sirius is quite all right."

"Well," Mrs. Black spoke after a slight pause, turning her suddenly lightless eyes on Sirius, "if what you say is true, then our son had better choose his appeals for grace _carefully_."

Pressing his lips together, Sirius kept his eyes on the floor as Dumbledore spread out his hands. "The children have already been disciplined according to school standards, although nothing too harsh after their adventure. Most of their punishment was taken care of during their imprisonment, I'm afraid."

"I hope that you haven't been too lenient with them," Mr. Black spoke, curling his lip slightly. "This sort of disobedience requires a firm hand."

"They've been through a lot," James' mother spoke up from the side, but the Blacks paid her no heed—Mrs. Black, in fact, spun in the other direction.

"Get outside, Sirius!" she commanded, but Sirius stayed put as he glanced quickly at Dumbledore and the Potters. Clearing his throat, Dumbledore addressed the Blacks before they could speak again.

"I had hoped that we could take care of our business in my office," he said, and James recognized the blue glinting behind his spectacles as a sign of dwindling patience. Mr. and Mrs. Black, however, did not seem to notice his warning, and the latter turned on Dumbledore with bared teeth.

"We'll be the judge of what's necessary for our son!" Mrs. Black spat, snapping her long-nailed fingers at Sirius. "Sirius! Over—here—now!"

As Sirius swayed in place, Dumbledore folded his arms. "I don't believe I made myself clear: that wasn't a suggestion. You will have to remain in my office for whatever you plan to say."

After holding his gaze for a long moment, Mrs. Black finally turned her head. "Fine," she hissed, and she marched up to Sirius with astonishing speed before grabbing his arm. "What were you thinking, treating your family like that? What was your father supposed to say at the Ministry if the story leaked out? Druella and her family would have never let us hear the end of it, and just imagine how your grandfather would react! He'd cut us off if you made our family a point of public ridicule!"

"But they don't know, so what does it matter?" Sirius objected, attempting to wrest away.

"Don't talk back to me!" Mrs. Black threatened, giving him a shake as James' parents fought to keep themselves from intervening. "This isn't something to laugh about! You've given your father and I cause for embarrassment, as if your previous antics haven't been enough!"

"It wasn't my fault that I was nearly eaten!" Sirius defended, now matching his mother's vehemence.

"You were the one to run away from school, so watch your tone! You ought to be ashamed of yourself, abandoning your education for some willy-nilly venture into a werewolf den! You might have died! How were we supposed to react, then?"

"I don't know, maybe like you cared?"

James could have heard a quill drop. Sirius and Mrs. Black had frozen with their eyes locked on each other, and not even Mr. Black dared to break the tension between the two. Only the quiet clap of Peter's hand ascending to his mouth interrupted the silence, and the rest of the room watched with wide eyes as Mrs. Black's grip on Sirius' arm tightened.

"HOW _DARE_ YOU—WHY WOULD—WHAT ARE YOU SUGGESTING?" she finally burst, but when she spoke again, her voice had dropped to a more tolerable level. "Of course we care! I would never forgive myself if you had gotten hurt!"

"You're hurting him now!" James' mother cried, gesturing at the fingernails digging into Sirius' skin.

Spinning on her, Mrs. Black snarled, "He's not your son! Stay out of this!"

"Madame, might I suggest that you take a step back," Dumbledore spoke, swishing forward.

"NEITHER OF YOU HAS THE RIGHT—"

"Madame!" Dumbledore insisted again, his voice rising and cutting her off. "You are beside yourself! Anything you do now, you could regret later!"

Eyes blazing, Mrs. Black held his gaze for several long moments, but she finally released Sirius' arm and straightened as he rubbed the red mark. Turning around, she stalked back towards her husband as Mr. Black stared at Sirius coldly.

"We're taking you home," he announced, and Sirius snapped his head upright.

"You can't do that!" Sirius spluttered. "It's exam week!"

"No, we're taking you _home_," his father repeated, straining the last word. "As soon as school ends, you're staying at Grimmauld Place. No more trips into town or summer visits. You're confined to the house until your studies start again."

"And I know where all this bad influence is coming from," Mrs. Black growled, glaring at James. Facing her son again, she pointed at the Potters. "I don't want to see you anywhere near this family again!"

"Bad influence?" James' father stammered, drawing himself up, but Dumbledore held up a hand before he could react.

"That's quite enough," he interjected before turning to the Blacks. "I had hoped that this would be a time of reconciliation, but I see my mistake." Facing Sirius, he said, "You may leave anytime. Your presence is no longer required—and neither are yours," he added, nodding at the Blacks.

Stiffening, Sirius' parents scowled at Dumbledore. "You can't keep us from our son forever!" Mrs. Black accused, and she glowered at Sirius one last time before stomping out of the door. "After this week, Sirius. _Home_."

Although Dumbledore ushered the Blacks out quickly, everyone in the room was shaken after their intimidating visit. Sirius grew reticent after he and his roommates were dismissed from the meeting, but James did his best to cheer him up while they were still together. When their final week at Hogwarts ended, James and his friends filled their journey back to London with cheery conversation, their adventure in Portree now put completely behind them.

When the Hogwarts Express finally slowed at King's Cross Station, James trooped out onto the platform with his roommates and prepared to say his goodbyes. Before any of them could speak, however, Peter pointed over their heads with a jump.

"It's her!"

Spotting Mrs. Black standing across the platform with her husband, the four boys scattered, James and Sirius racing alongside the Hogwarts Express as the others waved goodbye and ran off to join their families. Coming to a halt farther down the platform, James panted and ruffled his hair back as Sirius glanced over his shoulder in the direction of his parents.

"I'm sorry that I won't get to visit," he said, looking down. "I was afraid for a moment that we wouldn't even get to say goodbye."

"That was a close call back there, wasn't it?" James joked, but the shudder he gave was only halfway forced. "Your mum is even scarier than Professor McGonagall!"

"I'm really going to hate the next few months," Sirius mumbled, kicking at the ground.

"Hey, don't worry!" James told him, taking him by the shoulder. "Even if they won't let you visit, your parents can't stop us from talking to each other! We still have our two-way mirrors, remember?"

"I'll just have to make sure that mine doesn't get confiscated," Sirius replied, giving a small smirk.

"And if you ever really need to escape," James added, "you know my address. The fireplace will always be open."

"Hey, thanks," Sirius answered, "but I think I'll have to stay in one place over the summer. Mundungus owes us big time after leaving us for werewolf food, and I need him to retrieve my motorbike. It's still stuck in Portree somewhere, and if anyone can get it back, it's that old bat."

"How do you know that Mundungus will respond?" James questioned. "The Sniff-Out Spell should be broken by now, shouldn't it?"

"Yes, but the Ministry doesn't know that Mundungus was the one to sell the werewolves supplies for the Sanguine Solvent," Sirius answered, grinning. "And if he wants to keep it that way, he'll have to deliver the motorbike back to your place."

Grinning, James nodded. "I'll be waiting for it," he said, but he soon looked over Sirius' shoulder as a head of red hair bounced out of the puffing train. Ruffling his hair again, James told Sirius, "I think that I'll go see Evans off for the holidays."

"Honestly, James, you've got to get your head checked," Sirius told him, but he only shook his head as he looked Lily's way. Smirking at something farther down the platform, Sirius reached into his pocket and toyed with a Dungbomb. "I think I'd rather deal with him, if that's all right with you," he spoke, nodding towards a greasy head a short distance from Lily.

"Go right ahead," James responded, feeling a smile creep across his face before nodding at his friend. "I'll talk to you soon, all right?"

He and Sirius parted ways with a mutual nod, and James set off towards Lily as his roommate slid off into the crowd, his arsenal hidden behind his back.

"Oi, Evans!" James called, waving before Lily could disappear. "Have you done something different with your hair today?"

Starting, Lily turned around and scowled when she saw him. "Just when I thought I'd be rid of you for the summer," she sighed. "What did you come here for?"

"I've come to see you off!" James proclaimed, stopping a few paces in front of her with his hands behind his back.

"Well, goodbye then," she said, turning and taking a step in the other direction. Seeing Snape standing unsuspectingly behind her, James jumped forward.

"Wait!" he cried. When Lily glanced his way again, he stammered, "We haven't had the chance to . . . er . . ." Narrowing her eyes, Lily moved her head to follow his gaze over her shoulder, but James quickly blurted out, "We haven't had the chance to talk about next year!"

"What about next year?" Lily asked, frowning.

"Er . . . I thought that we might meet up," James replied, rubbing the unruly spot of hair on the back of his head.

"I'm sure that we will, walking to and from our classes," Lily answered and she turned to walk away again.

"Wait, you can't go!" James insisted, and she stopped long enough look back at his lopsided grin. "We haven't decided if I'm taking you out to the Three Broomsticks or Madam Puddifoot's yet!"

"Your cheek, Potter!" Lily exclaimed, rolling her eyes. "But I can tell that you're hiding something. What is it that's behind me?"

Spinning around, she disregarded James' protest just as Sirius charged out of the crowd, aiming his Dungbomb for Snape's feet. Crying out, Lily tried to warn her Slytherin friend, but Snape had already turned in the other direction to sneer at Sirius, who nearly fell over as he backpedaled into a family behind him. The scene seemed to play out in slow-motion, and yet James felt as if he barely had time to pick up his feet and run off as the Dungbomb exploded, left unseen by Snape after his abrupt rotation. Turning around as Sirius began to howl with laughter, Lily shouted over the disgusted exclamations of the surrounding families.

"POTTER!"

* * *

_Congratulations on making it to the end of the story! Your dedication means so much to me, and I hope you were entertained. Always feel free to leave a comment or suggestion! I have been hard at work planning and revising the next year at Hogwarts, and although I can't yet project a publish-ready date, I can promise that good things are in the making! Rest assured, I will do everything in my power to finish JP5 as quickly as possible (while still making it good). Stay tuned for_ James Potter and the Pureblood Patriarch!


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